“Section A and B, to artillery!” our captain barked and a group of people ran off. I stood in line and stared straight ahead like I was trained to do, waiting to hear my section. “C and D, to the planes!” he barked.

C. That’s my section. I followed everyone else in my group to run past the hundreds of soldiers in their rows, standing straight at attention.

As I ran to the huge room full of planes, I grabbed my weapons. Six knives, three on each ankle. Two pistols, one on each hip. Two rifles, one on my back and one to hold. And the bag full of explosives. It was small enough not to get in my way but big enough to cause a lot of damage.

The propellers started roaring and I bolted to jump onto the carrier. Four others jumped on with me and grabbed a hold of the net along the walls. The plane lifted off and we flew out of the building and out onto the surface.

I peered out of the doorway and watched the desert fly by. There was nothing except the metal buildings that we lived and trained in. Soon, the glass buildings will come into sight and we’d be over the city. Then we would go over the ocean towards Terra. I tightened my grip on my gun and went over my mission in my head again.

“This is going to change everything,” I heard a guy beside me comment as he admired the view.

I nodded in agreement and watched the city start to zoom by us. “Hopefully this will be the last attack we’ll need to do. Terra should surrender after this,” I commented back and look up at him. I recognized him but I didn’t know his name. He must be in section D.

“I don’t see how they wouldn’t, wiping out half their population will be detrimental,” he commented and shifted his gear around slightly.

“They’re stubborn. They think they can convince us to leave them alone by cutting off half our supply. They’re smart though,” I told him.

He nodded. “Which section are you hitting?” he asked and looked down at me.

“Section one, I’ll be jumping first,” I explained.

“Good luck,” he told me. “Poor section, there probably won’t be many places to hide.”

“That’s why they chose me,” I joked.

He laughed a little. “How long until they come back for you?”

“Right after, should be today if not tomorrow. I’m meeting them on the coast,” I explained.

He nodded and examined the sky again. We were getting close to the ocean that separated the two countries.

“Where are you headed?” I asked curiously, not wanting to sit in silence. It was a long flight to Terra.

“Close to the capital,” he boasted.

Of course. “Good luck,” I told him and another guy scoffed.

“I’m attacking the capital,” he boasted back and smirked at us proudly.

“Nice,” the guy next to me said with a nod.

“So am I,” a girl boasted. “Don’t act like you’re something special.”

“You’re helping me,” the second guy told her. “I don’t need even need help. You can stay here if you’d like,” he teased.

“Well, Commander didn’t seem to think you could handle it on your own. Otherwise, I’d be in a different aircraft,” she teased back.

“And attacking a small section,” he continued.

“Better than having an escort,” she taunted.

“Just don’t get in my way,” he ordered and smiled a little.

“I won’t, you’ll have to keep up if you want me in your way,” she continued with a smirk.

He scowled at her and shook his head. “Don’t get caught either.”

“As if,” she commented.

He sighed and looked at me. “You’re lucky you’re going alone,” he told me.

I chuckled and nodded in agreement. “That’s why I chose to attack section one. I got first dibs,” I boasted.

“You have dibs on the poorest section in Terra. Do they even have a city there? Houses?” he asked curiously. “Or will you just be blowing up trees?”

“Not many trees in that section,” the girl commented with a chuckle.

“I’m attacking the city. It’s actually big,” I told them. “Plus, less work and easier for me.”

“Not as impressive,” the girl commented.

“I’ve already impressed my Commander. A simple mission is good with him and me,” I explained with a shrug.

She laughed a little and went on bragging with the other boy who was taking out the capital.

The boy beside me just shook his head with a sigh.

I glanced out the doorway and saw Terra in the distance. I'd have to jump soon. I moved closer to the door and watched the land come towards us.

“Section one!” the pilot yelled and I got ready to jump.

“Good luck,” the first guy told me.

I nodded and saw the city come up quickly. The plane lowered and I held my breath before I jumped out of the plane. I clutched my gun to my chest and balled up to roll onto the ground. I hit my back and flipped back over with ease like I had trained.

I ran towards the city quickly, heading for the outskirts. I breathed steadily and examined the buildings. I was assigned to attack the building right in the middle. Fortunately, that was the tallest building.

I pulled my black mask over my face so nobody would see me and headed for that building, making sure to keep myself hidden.

I watched everyone walk around the streets. There weren't any vehicles or anything. The people were wearing weird clothing that looked to be homemade. I'd really have to be careful nobody sees me. They'd know I was planning something weird and call the authorities.

I clenched my jaw and snuck behind buildings until I got to the one in the middle. I peeked in through a window and saw a bunch of people who were talking in small groups. I figured this building was where they made all their trades.

I took off my bag and set it on the ground. I positioned it so I could detonate it before heading back out of the city. I made a direct beeline from the bomb to me. Once I got out of arm’s reach, I put my earbuds in and got down on the ground to aim my gun at the bomb.

I sat in my room with my thin blanket draped over my bare shoulders. I fiddled with the radio we had, probably the only piece of technology we owned. Other than the emergency phone of course.

Most of the stations were pure static. Not a lot of radio stations were around anymore. Every now and then I'd catch a song or even a television frequency so I could listen to a talk show.

I smiled big. I loved listening to those. It didn't even matter what they were about, I just loved to listen and think.

I ran my finger right above the screen, scrolling through the static. It was a small handheld radio, only about the size of my palm.

I looked down at my notebook. I had written down all the stations that had worked at least once. I scrolled to the last station written down and voices filled the room. I smiled at my success and set the radio to the side.

I flipped open my notebook to the page I had left off on.

“Do you believe it was a wise decision to cut off half of Opes’ food supply?” a woman's voice asked.

I pondered the question as I wrote it down, then wrote my response.

“It seemed to be the only option at this point. Opes has been attacking us for years. We had to bring a stop to it before they destroyed our nation and took what they wanted,” I heard the President of Terra reply.

I thought about his answer carefully. “Could we not reason with them?” I asked curiously, even though he couldn't hear me.

“What could this mean for Terra?” the woman asked him.

I thought about her question and wrote it down before answering it. Opes has been Terra’s technology and weapon supplier for years. What would happen if they cut us off like we cut them off?

“I believe it opens up a chance for Terra to be at peace,” he replied.

“What?” I asked out loud, shocked at his answer.

Opes was anything but peaceful. They had attacked the capital several times. For multiple reasons. They were a military country, and their technology was gorgeous. I had only seen their aircrafts, but they were otherworldly. I could only imagine what other technology they had.

Since we stopped feeding them, they had no use for us. What if they came and destroyed us? They wanted our land. The only reason we had been safe for so long was because we kept them fed. Now we stopped. What if they killed us?

I was so lost in thought, I didn't even realize that my radio had cut off. Static filled the room.

I looked around at the darkness and saw a red light, beaming through the windows.

I climbed out of bed and left everything to walk to the kitchen. The only sound in the house was the sound of my bare feet against the wooden floors and my necklace hitting my chest lightly.

I breathed hard as I walked into the kitchen. I leaned against the sink and looked out the window.

The city was practically glowing red. I breathed shakily. It only did that when there were aircrafts from Opes spotted.

I swallowed hard. Mama. Anastasia. Where were they? Shouldn't they be back by now?

I opened the screen door and walked out into the grass nervously. I gazed out into the city. Red pulsing lights, over and over. It lit up the entire hillside.

I breathed shakily and trembled ever so slightly. Fear. Red. Red meant aircrafts. Opes. They really were here to destroy us.

Suddenly a roar filled the air. I jumped out of my skin and bolted for the house, not that, that would help. I locked myself in the house and flipped the table on its side to pin against the door. It was a useless attempt. If someone from Opes wanted me out of this house, they would get me.

I peered out the kitchen window carefully as the sound grew more intense. I saw the outline of an aircraft touch ground, barely a mile away from me.

My heart raced and I watched it take off again. It flew off into the night, and out of hearing range.

I ran back to my room and wrapped myself in my blanket tightly, trying to keep my warmth in. I messed with the radio again, trying to figure out what was happening.

The aircraft. They were here. I never thought this would happen so close to my home. Opes always attacked the capital. I couldn't believe it. They were right outside my door.

I only got chunks of voices as I swiped through stations. They all sounded calm. Like nothing was happening.

Suddenly, it felt like an earthquake. The entire world shook. I was shaken out of bed and I hit the floor hard. I groaned and sat up. The shaking stopped. Then it started again. Everything in the house rattled.

I struggled to stand up. When I got to my feet, I ran to the kitchen again. I looked out the window. No more red. Just fire.

My eyes widened and I slung the table out of my way. I ran outside again and stared at the city. It was in flames. I watched a building collapse in on itself and my heart sunk. Mama. Anastasia.

“Mama!” I screamed and started running towards the city. “Mama!” I cried and I watched another explosion go off.

The impact shook me to the ground and my stomach twisted. I could hear people screaming. I looked up and saw more buildings fall.

The gorgeous city. Gone. Fallen.

I swallowed hard and whimpered as I forced myself onto my feet again. Mama. Anastasia. They were in the city. Or at least too close.

I covered my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut. “No,” I whimpered and grabbed my necklace with my free hand. “No!” I wailed at the top of my lungs.

I didn't know what to do. I just sat in the grass, watching everything I had ever known burn to the ground. I watched it for what felt like an eternity.

I stood up and stared at the city. I stumbled back to the house. I wanted to believe that Mama and Anastasia were fine. That they had survived, but no. I knew they hadn't.

I stumbled into the house and ignored the ache in my chest and the fire dancing off the walls of the house. An interesting feeling spread through my chest.

It wasn't rage. It wasn't sadness either. Was it loss? Was that what this felt like?

I walked into my room and sat on the edge of the bed. Gone. It was all gone. I couldn't do anything about it. They just left me. What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to do? The city was gone. Mama was gone. Anastasia was gone. My father, long gone.

I sniffled and wiped under my nose, still breathing hard. I looked up, catching glance of the fires that lit up the skyline.

“You can't stay here,” I thought to myself. “They'll find you, they'll kill you.”

I nodded quickly and scrambled around my room. I pulled on my sweater, hiding my necklace. I laced up my boots quickly. I then pulled a black bag out from under my bed and rolled up my blanket to cram in there. I packed a bunch of shirts, an extra pair of jeans, my radio, notebook and pen.

I ran to Mama’s room and snatched the emergency phone from under her pillow. I examined the room, biting my lip to keep it still. I ran into the kitchen and packed as much food as we had left. I packed water and bolted out of the house.

Just as I got outside of the house, I saw a figure running towards the coast. My heart raced. Who was that?

I scooted alongside the house and grabbed a shovel. I gripped it tightly and chased after the figure.

They were dressed in all black and had something in their hands. They bolted across the grass quickly, not seeming to notice me.

I followed after the figure quickly, gripping the shovel. I made sure to be as quiet as I could.

They stopped in front of my path but decided against it and went around to avoid the path.

I hesitated, but followed after them carefully. I saw them looking up in the air quickly and ran faster.

My lungs burned, but I chased after them. I had a feeling they were from Opes. They did this. They destroyed my home.

They finally reached the coast and looked around for something. I breathed hard and walked over to them carefully. I hesitated and nailed them in the side of the head with handle of the shovel.

They yelped and crumpled to the ground. I gasped and dropped my shovel.

“What am I doing?” I asked myself and ran my fingers up through my hair.

The city blows up and not even ten minutes later, I'm beating someone with a shovel. I made sure they were still breathing and sighed with relief. I walked over carefully and examined them.

They had their hood over their head and a piece of black cloth over their nose and mouth. I couldn't really tell what they looked like but they had some kind of technology in their hands and on their back.

What was I supposed to do? Kill them with a shovel? No. I swallowed hard and felt panicked. They were obviously waiting for someone to come get them.

I hesitated and grabbed them by the waist, throwing them over my shoulder. They were surprisingly light. I carried them back to the house, trying to ignore the flames.

I carried them to my room and laid them on the bed. I examined them carefully and started pulling away the weapons they had. I found a few guns and hid them in Mama’s room.

I walked back and adjusted my bag on my back. Great, now what was I supposed to do? What if they weren't from Opes and I just beat someone from Terra.

I felt panicked again and pulled my bag off of my back. I had to call someone. Who was I going to call? I dug through my bag with shaking hands as fast as I could.

I pulled out the phone and dialed the emergency number. I listened to it rung for a moment before a woman answered.

“Hello?” she asked curiously.

“Hey, hey, hey, I...I found a...I think a...” I rambled.

“Sir, you need to calm down. What did you find?” she asked.

“I think I found a...a person from Opes,” I said stupidly, not sure if I was right. “But I don't really know.”

“We will send someone to retrieve them. Keep them on the premises. Thank you, Sir,” she told me.

“You're welcome,” I said nervously and hung up the phone. I crammed it back in my bag, I couldn't lose that.

I suddenly felt something sharp push against my back and something sharp against my throat.

I squeaked and closed my eyes.

“I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead.”

“Who are you and where am I?” I heard a girl ask in my ear.

“I-I-I’m Odin...and you're...in my house,” I stammered as I trembled.

“Where is your house?” she asked.

“On...on the outside of Sinta,” I answered nervously.

“By the coast?” she asked curiously.

I nodded quickly. “Yes.”

She nodded back and quickly pulled away to run out of the room.

“Wait!” I yelled and stumbled after her. “Aren't you missing something?” I asked, trying to distract her.

She ignored me and scrambled to find the exit.

“What about your weapons?” I asked nervously. What if she just attacked me?

She turned around and stormed over to me. She still had the hood and mask on. “Where are they then?” she asked and pointed a small knife at me.

I swallowed hard. “In the house,” I replied simply.

“You know I don’t need a gun to kill you,” she sneered and put the blade against my throat again.

My jaw trembled. “I know,” I breathed.

“So I suggest you tell me where my guns are and show me the way out of here,” she told me.

I hesitated and just stared at her for a moment.

“Now would be great,” she continued.

“Right, right,” I said nervously and stepped back from the knife. I turned around and walked to Mama’s room.

I took my time, mainly because I was shaking so badly. I dug around, looking for where I had hid everything.

I heard her follow me and I felt her watching me carefully. I clenched my jaw and found everything for her. I stood up nervously and offered them to her carefully. She watched me as she put all of her weapons back where they were.

“Thanks,” she said and turned to leave again.

“L-let me show you out,” I stammered nervously and followed after her quickly.

She stopped walking to let me lead her. I stepped in front of her and hesitated at my room to grab my bag. I slung it on my back and led her to the kitchen.

I could see the military waiting outside. I swallowed hard. What would they do to me?

She saw the military waiting too and stopped walking. “They’re here for me, aren’t they?” she asked and glared at me.

I looked back at her nervously. “You killed my family,” I said simply.

She sighed a little. “Is there another way out of here?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Fine, I’ll find a way,” she said and slammed her elbow into my nose before running towards the back of the house.

I yelped and grabbed my nose. Blood trickled down and I ran outside.

“Around back!” I yelled, but the entire house was already surrounded.

“Sir, go back in the house,” one of the soldiers told me as loud pops filled the air from the back of the house.

I jumped and looked around. “Wait, that's it?” I asked nervously.

“Yes, Sir, go back inside. You’re safe now,” he told me and gestured back to the house.

I looked at the city, most of the flames were gone now. I looked back at him.

“What am I supposed to do now?” I asked him and gestured at the city. “Everyone is dead.”

“There have been attacks all over the country. The best you can do is stay here and live normally,” he explained.

“Normally?” I asked him. “How am I supposed to act like everything is fine?”

“Sir, we will take care of this. If we need you then we will contact you. If any other emergencies occur, contact us,” he told me and I heard more loud pops coming around the house.

I jumped again. “I'm going to die if I stay out here,” I told him simply. “You're going to have to do a lot better than wave bye.”

He looked at another soldier then back at me. “Sir, you seem to be the only survivor. If you would prefer, you may come with us. We’ll take you to the capital and we can discuss this there,” he offered.

I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds better,” I told him softly and rubbed my arm.

“Alright, Sir,” he said with a nod.

I heard the girl yelling at the top of her lungs and a group of guards carried her out as she thrashed around.

“Stay here for now,” the soldier told me and ran over to help with her.

I nodded and watched them carefully. She would kill me for this. She would kill me for turning her in. I stared at the ground, almost ashamed of it.

I heard more loud pops as she shot her gun around aimlessly. They finally pried it out of her hands and took her other weapons away.

“Sir, our aircraft is this way,” a soldier told me and pointed to the left of the house.

“O-okay,” I stammered nervously and shifted my bag on my back.

He led me that way behind the group that was carrying the girl. She was still thrashing around, trying to get away but they didn’t seem to be letting go.

I swallowed hard and examined the aircraft. I had never seen one of Terra’s aircrafts. It was interesting and terrifying at the same time. I really didn't want to get on it, but I wasn't staying here to die.

The soldiers helped me onto the aircraft and gestured to somewhere I could sit. They restrained the girl onto the wall of the aircraft across from me.

I pulled my bag off of my back and sat down. I tucked it behind my legs and stared at the ground so I wouldn't have to look at the girl.

All the soldiers piled in and sat beside me and the girl, making sure to keep their guns pointed at her.

I jumped when the aircraft took off, no one else seemed phased. I played with my necklace through my shirt, trying to calm down.

Only survivor. That's what the soldier said. I breathed shakily. Only survivor.

I glared at Odin the entire way to Terra’s capital. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to destroy everything and get back to Opes safely. I wondered if the aircraft that was supposed to come get me was waiting or if they just flew off without really looking for me. They probably think I’m dead. I will be dead.

I pulled against my restraints and looked around at the Terra soldiers. If I stayed quiet then they won’t figure anything out. They would probably kill me once they figured out that I wasn’t going to talk. That was fine. I just didn’t want to know what they were going to do to me to try and get me to talk.

But it didn’t matter. I would keep my mouth shut and die. I nodded slightly at myself and continued glaring at Odin, wishing I could get out of my restraints to attack him.

He seemed uneasy and glanced up at me. He winced a little and continued fiddling with something under his shirt. I suddenly remembered the tracker that was embedded in my chest. I grinned a little under my mask. If Opes really cared, they’d come get me. They’d know where I was being taken and they could come get me. I was one of their best soldiers.

I shifted a little so the handcuffs weren’t digging into my wrist. I wasn’t worried about what they’d do to me now.

The aircraft landed, and Odin looked like he was having a panic attack. The soldiers just gave him confused looks.

One soldier gestured for him to follow and led him out. All the others grabbed me, making sure I couldn't attack anyone.

They led me out and into the capital. It looked mostly destroyed. Buildings were either destroyed completely, or looked immaculate. The main building was still up. It was bright white with pillars across the front. Lights shined on it, making sure you knew what it was.

I dragged my feet as they carried me inside. It looked very grand, with white and gold designs around the room and a desk sitting in the middle of the room in front of beautiful elevators.

The woman at the desk was talking to the single soldier and Odin. He was looking around the place with wide eyes. The woman sighed and shook her head as she examined him.

The soldiers that had me stopped and held me still. I glared at the woman behind the desk and wriggled my arms slightly in the soldier's grip. One of the soldiers stepped in front of me.

“Knock it off, or I'll add a welt,” he threatened and I felt someone pull off my hood. He took off my mask and laughed at me. “My bad, another welt.”

I glared at him and jerked against the soldiers in spite.

“Hey guys, the Opes soldier got beat up by the farm boy,” he taunted and the group started laughing.

I gritted my teeth and jumped up to kick the guy in the gut hard.

He groaned and doubled over before nailing me in the same spot I had been hit earlier with the back of his weapon. I winced but made sure not to show my pain. I gritted my teeth more and bashed my forehead into his nose as hard as I could.

He cried out and stepped back, gripping his nose.

“That's enough,” I heard a familiar, booming voice announce.

The President of Terra stepped out of the elevator and strolled over, but not getting to close.

“Step down, soldier,” he ordered the guy who had hit me.

The soldier stood at attention and I glared at the President, breathing hard. He examined me carefully.

“There is no need to do damage to the girl,” he told the soldier sternly. “Did you feel the need to hit her twice?

“Yes, Sir,” he told the President.

“Why is that?” he replied.

“She was not cooperating,” he explained.

“So you hit her. Twice?” he asked, keeping the same relaxed expression on his face.

“Yes, Sir,” he said with a nod.

“You are in no position to make that decision, soldier,” he told him sternly. “Did someone give you that order?”

“No, Sir,” he said shaking his head.

“Then why did you make the decision?” he asked, looking over at him.

“I felt that it was necessary. It won’t happen again, Sir,” the soldier promised.

“I know,” he replied and smiled at me. “Good evening, do you have a name? Or should I refer to you as Miss?”

I glared at him. Stay quiet and they won’t know anything.

“Miss it is,” he told me with a nod. “Why don't we take her up to the second floor?”

“Yes, Sir,” a soldier replied and they all dragged me over to the elevator.

“Take the boy to a room for the evening,” I heard him order. “I'll speak with him shortly.”

“Yes, Sir,” the single soldier replied.

They pulled me into the elevator and the President waved at me with a smirk as the doors closed.

I jerked against the soldier’s grips and snickered at the soldier that the President had scolded.

“Yeah, yeah, at least I didn't get taken down by that kid,” he taunted. “Aren't you supposed to be elite?”

I grinned as a thought popped into my head. “Yes,” I said nodding.

“And you were outsmarted by a kid scared of his own shadow,” he continued and the soldiers started laughing again. “Pathetic.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Exactly,” I replied, trying to make him think that I meant to do all that.

He glanced at me curiously. He stayed quiet the rest of the ride up. They led me out into the hallway and into a blank room with a one way mirror in it. There was a single metal table and metal chair bolted to the floor in the center of the room.

A soldier patted me down again before practically stripping me. The others forced me down into the chair. They strapped my legs to the legs of the chair and my wrists to the table.

I wriggled a little and stared at the one way mirror, wondering who was behind it. The President would probably be back there once they start talking to me. Or maybe he’d be the one to talk to me.

The soldiers all filed out, taking the excess clothes with them. The door shut and I heard a beeping noise. Locked.

I sighed a little and looked around the room. It was just a plain room with a camera in the front corner. I stared at it for a moment before looking back at my reflection. I looked so much different from everyone here. Dark brown hair instead of blonde or light brown. Gray eyes instead of green or blue. And tan skin instead of pale. I was also a lot smaller. It was colder here so they had to be bigger.

The door beeped again and a tall woman in a general’s uniform walked in. Her boots clicked against the floor and the door beeped. She walked on the other side of the table and examined me.

I examined her back and stayed quiet.

“I imagine you won't say much to me,” she started. “Can't say I blame you, I'd be the same way.”

I sat up straighter instinctively and stared straight ahead.

“Trust me, you'd be dead if it were up to me. The President seems to think he can get something out, but you and I both know that you won't say a thing,” she said as she paced between the length of the table.

I glanced up at her, daring her to kill me.

She smirked and stopped pacing to look at me. “That's perfectly fine though.”

I looked away from her to continue staring straight ahead again.

She chuckled and stepped behind me. I could see her reflection in the mirror. She ran her nails through my hair slowly.

“You'll just be a fun game for me,” she commented.

I tensed up and pulled my head away from her. Why was she touching me?

She chuckled at my discomfort and ran her nails down either side of my head and to my neck.

I gave her a look of confusion and moved away from her hands. I mentally told her to stop, that was weird.

“So many things,” she commented and stepped around the table to run her nails across my fingers. “Many like to believe that pain and blood is the best way to cause discomfort. However, I don't like cleaning up messes,” she told me with a devious grin. “Plus, you're a soldier. Pain is a distant friend. There are better ways to cause you horrible discomfort other than cutting you, burning you, and breaking you.”

I gritted my teeth and balled up my fists so she couldn’t get to my fingers. I tried to hide my discomfort and stared straight ahead.

She laughed at me. “I can tell this bothers you,” she mentioned.

I looked up at her and relaxed a little to show that I don’t care.

“Yeah, yeah, we'll see how long that lasts,” she told me with a chuckle.

I swallowed hard and stared at her carefully, making sure to act like this was normal.

She smiled sweetly at me. “I do enjoy spilling blood though,” she mentioned.

I scoffed accidentally. I could take my blood being spilt. That has no effect on me.

“Noted,” she commented and walked back around the table.

I watched her in the mirror carefully, wondering what she would do. She started messing with my hair again.

“Dark hair is pretty,” she commented.

I tensed up without thinking and closed my eyes to try and stay calm. I heard her chuckle again and pulled my hair out of its hair bow. I felt my hair fall down my arms and back. I never had my hair down. It went down to my elbows. It’s grown.

Her ran her fingers through the length of my hair. “Now you just look like a little girl,” she commented.

I looked at her in confusion. Was that bad? Why did it matter that I looked like a girl?

“No more soldier,” she continued.

I got even more confused. What? I was still a soldier. Tons of people trained with their hair down.

She continued playing with my hair. “I suppose you won't say anything, huh?” she asked and trailed her nails across my neck.

I tensed up more and jerked away quickly. She laughed and used one hand to grip my hair and the other she traced up and down my neck.

“This is interesting, you're like a little puppet. It'll be even more interesting when it's not just me messing with you,” she commented. “Soldiers aren't used to affection, huh? Just training and fighting. That's all you have time for. Even if you don't suffer from pain, I doubt you'll forget all this.”

There'll be more touching me? I shuddered at the thought and closed my eyes again.

“You can make me stop, I hope you're well aware of that,” she commented. “But I don't think you will.”

I gritted my teeth. She wanted me to talk. I forced myself to keep my mouth and push through it.

“So odd, they used to make fun of me for doing all this. It works though,” she mentioned and ran her nails down my arms.

“Stop,” I breathed accidentally and jerked away from her.

“See,” she said through laughter and did it again.

I clenched my fists and tensed up more. This was weird. I didn't like this. I breathed hard and tried to wiggle my wrists out of the cuffs.

“Not happening,” she told me softly and continued running her nails along my arms. “Maybe if you tell me your name, I'll stop.”

I couldn't tell her anything. Any piece of information could jeopardize everything.

“Just your first name,” she offered and ran her nails up my arms and to my shoulders.

I shook my head and tensed my back up.

“Fine,” she said happily and went back down my arms.

I shook my head again and held my breath for some reason.

“See the fun part is tomorrow, I'll have help,” she told me sweetly.

I bit my tongue and looked at her carefully.

“I wonder what sort of discomfort you'll have around guys,” she commented to herself.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. Would that be different? By the sounds of it, it would be worse. Great.

“They're a little...happier than I am,” she mentioned.

“What?” I asked without thinking and bit my tongue harder.

“They like to touch more,” she explained. “Especially when there's a pretty girl.”

Great, it will be worse. Why couldn't they just hurt me? That'd be much better. I looked down at arms and wished I still had my clothes.

“There are some that get a little too touchy,” she continued and ran her fingers through my hair.

I tried to ignore her and closed my eyes. They'll come back for me. They'll take me back to Opes. They'll use my tracker and save me.

She kept touching and telling me what those men would do for a long time. After a while she got bored and left the room.

I sighed with relief and shuddered. I looked down at my bare arms and legs. Where did they take my clothes? When would I get them back? I bit my lip and shivered in the sudden cold.

I gazed around the room in awe. Still clutching my bag as I sat on the edge of the bed.

The room was bigger than my house. The walls were this dark red color, then the curtains were golden. The window stretched across one wall, exposing the city. Lots of it was destroyed, but what was left made my jaw drop.

Gorgeous buildings reached into the sky. White and silver mostly. I had never been to the capital. It was stunning. It made the city outside of my house look like nothing.

I set my bag down on the bed. It was a interesting round shape with thick blankets and a thousand pillows. I walked over to the window and examined the city carefully. I never thought I'd have a view like this.

I pulled my necklace out of my shirt and started messing with it. Even under all the circumstances, I smiled a little. I wondered what Mama would think of me. Me in the capital.

I was standing here myself and I didn't believe it. I walked back over to the bed and lept into the sea of pillows. They were silky. I laughed a little and closed my eyes.

I heard the door open and close.

“Good evening,” I heard the President greet.

I jumped up and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Sorry, sorry,” I said quickly and climbed of the bed to offer him a polite nod. “Good evening.”

“Don't be sorry, I should have knocked,” he told me and returned the nod. “How are you?”

I tucked my necklace in my shirt and smoothed it out. I could hear Mama reminding me of my manners.

“Good,” I told him with a nod. “How are you?”

“Good, good, a little shaken up. I assume you are too,” he mentioned.

I examined him. He had blonde hair and looked older than Mama. He had soft blue eyes that seemed to light up the entire room.

“Oh, yeah,” I said and nodded. “Sir,” I added quickly. I sounded like an idiot. An idiot in front of the President. I had only heard his voice and now I was standing in front of him.

He chuckled a little. “You are not obligated to call me Sir,” he told me.

“Of course I am, you’re the President of my country,” I told him and laughed a little. “You’re the most important man in our country. The least I can do is be polite.”

“Very well,” he said with a nod. “Now, I would like to ask you some questions if I may.”

“Of course, Sir,” I said with a nod and held my hands tightly.

“First, I would like to know your name,” he started.

“Odin Lukin, Sir,” I replied with a nervous smile.

“Mr. Lukin, where were you when your city was attacked? Obviously you were not affected,” he asked.

“I was at my home, Sir. It’s right outside of Sinta,” I explained, remembering everything that happened. I swallowed hard at the memory.

“I see and the girl came to your house?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

“No, Sir. I found her on the coast then I brought her to my home,” I replied.

“Oh, yes, that’s right,” he said nodding. “Did she tell you anything?”

I replayed everything through my head, trying to find something. “She seemed determined to get to the coast,” I offered.

He nodded and thought about it. “Interesting,” he commented.

This was my chance to ask him something. I thought hard about it. “Could I ask you something, Sir?”

“Yes, of course, what it is?” he asked curiously.

I smiled big and sucked in a deep breath. “I was listening to your show on the radio and you talked about Terra being about to be at peace because we’re stopping the food supply to Opes. All things considered, Sir, I don’t think that we’ll be at peace because of this. Why would you say that? In school I knew that Opes wasn’t a peaceful country and they’ve attacked us several times.”

“After this attack, I doubt we’ll ever be at peace. But I was actually planning to try and negotiate with Opes. It is quite obvious now that they are not interested in a negotiation however,” he explained.

“Yes, but shouldn't you have expected an attack?” I asked curiously.

“I was expecting one but I was hoping to negotiate before they attacked,” he told me.

“And your way to negotiate was to cut off their food?” I asked curiously.

“No, I was going to go over to Opes and try to solve this whole ordeal. I was hoping to go back to our original set up where we supply food, they supply weapons and we stay at peace,” he replied.

I nodded. “Alright, sorry. That just wasn't explained on the radio,” I told him.

“I did explain it,” he told me nodding.

“I must not have caught it then,” I said softly, feeling completely embarrassed.

“I understand. Do you have any other questions?” he asked.

“What are you going to do with me?” I asked curiously.

“You will stay here until we figure this all out. Then if you choose, you may go back to your home or you may get a job and live here in the capital,” he explained. “You are very smart, Odin, you can stay here if you’d like.”

“Oh, I-I don't have the money for that,” I told him quickly and hung my head.

“Your reward for bringing the girl to us is a place to stay and enough money to hold you up until you get a job and steady salary. If you choose, of course,” he told me.

My heart raced and I looked up at him. “Really?” I asked excitedly.

“If you choose,” he said again and smiled at my excitement.

“Yes, yes, of course,” I said nodding quickly. I laughed and ran my fingers through my hair. I couldn't believe it. I hit someone with a shovel and they reward me.

“Very well, you may stay here until the city is rebuilt then you will choose where you would like to live and work,” he said with a nod.

I nodded. “Thank you,” I told him and my stomach growled, reminding me that I was hungry. I pushed my fist into it to make it stop. “Sorry,” I told him quickly.

“It is quite alright, would you like to join me for dinner?” he asked curiously.

I smiled big and nodded. “Yes, Sir, it would be an honor.”

“Follow me,” he said nodding and opened the door to lead me down the hall.

I smoothed down my sweater again and followed after him, nervous and excited all at the same time. I examined the walls. Elegant designs laced the tops and bottoms of the walls.

I couldn't believe this. I lose everything, just to gain a crazy, once in a lifetime opportunity. Too bad I had to lose Mama and Anastasia for this. I hung my head a little, suddenly feeling horrible for being so excited. I supposed I wished too hard to be in the city.

He led me into a huge room full of round tables and people eating at them. “Take a seat and I’ll bring you your food,” he told me and gestured to an empty table.

I nodded and sat down. I watched him walk off and I examined the room.

Everyone was dressed in these gorgeous clothes. Suits, dresses, even the few kids were dressed up with their hair done nicely. I wondered how much all of this costed and rubbed the hem of my sweater between my fingertips.

This felt wrong. I wasn't supposed to be here. Everyone in the room knew it too. Every now and then I'd catch someone staring. I hung my head and wished I could be back in my room.

“Here you are,” the President said and set a fancy plate full of food in front of me before sitting down across the table.

I stared at it with huge eyes. This was mine. I got to have this. I started eating, trying not to seem like a pig.

“Are you enjoying your stay here so far?” he asked curiously.

I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“If you would like, I can get you some new clothes so you can fit in better,” he offered.

I nodded and looked around at all the disgusted stares. “That would be nice,” I said softly and looked back at my plate.

“I will get you a tailor after we finish eating. He can make you anything you would like,” he told me.

“Really?” I asked in awe.

“Absolutely,” he said with a nod.

I smiled again. “That’s incredible. Everything here is.”

“I’m glad you approve. It took a long time to create all of this,” he replied with a smile.

“I can’t believe I’m really here, that this is what it all looks like. The architecture jaw dropping, the rooms are immense, every little detail is perfect,” I told him without thinking.

“You are smarter than I realized. I will have to put you in a very high position,” he thought aloud and smiled bigger at me.

“Really?” I asked curiously. I liked to believe that I was smart, but to have the President say it blew my mind.

“Really,” he said with a nod. “If you would like, of course.”

“Yes, Sir, that would be wonderful. Where would you put me?” I asked curiously.

“It depends on what spots are open at the time. You would have to start out towards the bottom, of course,” he explained.

“Yes, of course,” I agreed nodding with excitement.

I continued eating and tried to ignore everyone's stares. I'm sure they all had something to say about the dirty brunette boy in a simple gray sweater eating with the President of Terra.

I played with my necklace through my shirt after I had cleaned my plate. My stomach hurt, I had eaten too much. I smiled at the feeling. I hadn't had it in a long time.

I examined all the architecture in the room. The ceiling was very tall in here, it was interesting. I wondered what it was like to build something this grand. The entire building was massive and divine. I smiled at the beauty of it all.

I lived here. Soon I'd have a job here too. Then I could sustain myself. I imagined living in the top of a building, looking out over the gorgeous city. After it was rebuilt of course. I wondered what it would be like to live like that.

“Mr. Lukin, if you would excuse me, I have very important matters to deal with. We shall talk soon,” the President told me and wiped his mouth before standing up. “You may go back to your room. Do you remember how to get there?”

“Oh, yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

“I’ll see you soon, if you have any questions or concerns, you may call me personally with the phone in your room. I will send the tailor to your room in approximately half an hour,” he told me returning the nod.

“Alright,” I said with a nod and looked at my empty plate. “Where do I wash this off at?”

“Someone will come and clean it up for you,” he explained.

“Oh,” I said and stood up. A part of me told me to take it and clean it myself, but instead I nodded to him politely. I then walked out and down the hall.

I examined the halls as I walked. I found my room again and felt exhausted. What an insane day. I sat down on the edge of my bed and pulled my boots off. I pulled my legs up onto the bed and stretched out. I decided I'd just wait until the tailor got here.

I dug through my bag and pulled out my radio to toy with. I scrolled through the stations, sort of disappointed that I couldn't find a ton of stations.

A while later, I heard a knock on my door.

“Come in!” I called out, assuming it was the tailor.

The door opened and a man wearing a blue suit walked in with a cart full of different colors of fabrics. “Good evening,” he greeted, closing the door behind him.

I admired his suit. “Good evening,” I replied politely and climbed out of bed, setting my radio down carefully.

He gave my radio a curious look before smiling at me. “I'm Dante, I was sent to make you some clothes?” he asked.

“Yeah, by the President,” I said and nodded. “That's a lot of fabric,” I commented. Mama would lose her mind if she saw all that.

“I like to give my customers options. Shall we get started?” he asked.

“Sure,” I told him with a nod and turned around to turn off the radio so it wasn't making static sounds anymore.

“Now, is there anything you would like in particular?” he asked curiously.

“A suit,” I said carefully. “Wait, those are expensive.”

“Not to you. The President put it on his tab,” he explained with a wave.

“Oh, alright,” I said nodding. “Just something like everyone else wears.”

“What color and material would you like?” he asked turning to his cart.

“I can pick?” I asked curiously.

“You can have more than one suit if you can't choose just one color or material. I always have trouble deciding too,” he commented with a shrug.

“Can I have black?” I asked curiously. Mama always said black cloth and dye was expensive.

“Yes, Sir. Black what?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged. “You pick.”

He looked up and examined me. “I think cotton will be best,” he decided and took a roll of fabric off the cart. “I'll need you to take off your shirt, please.”

I nodded and pulled off my sweater, then chucked it on the bed. He walked over and started wrapping the fabric around my arms and cut it before wrapping the fabric around my torso. He cut that piece and put another piece around my shoulders and cut it.

“Did you want the shirt to be black as well?” he asked.

“I get a shirt too?” I asked slowly.

“Yes, a suit consists of a shirt, tie, jacket and pants,” he explained.

“This is so awesome,” I told him with a little laugh.

“So, black shirt? Or would you like a different color?” he asked chuckling at me.

“White, can I have white?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, cotton?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said with a nod.

“Alright,” he said nodding and went back to his cart to pick up a roll of white fabric. He did the same thing he did with the black and laid out all the pieces on the bed. “Take off your pants, please.”

“Do what?” I asked him, scrunching my eyebrows together.

“Take off your pants, please,” he repeated. “I have to get an accurate measurement of how big to make your pants,” he explained.

“Okay,” I said slowly, wondering if he was just messing with me or what. I carefully pulled off my jeans and waited for him to tell me he was kidding.

He took his black cloth to start wrapping it around my hips and legs, cutting it accordingly. I stood there awkwardly, wondering if I'd have to do this again. It was very strange.

He stood up to grab some pins from his cart. He pinned the pieces of cloth in its correct spot and examined it to make sure everything was correct.

“Spread your arms out, please,” he said grabbing some needle and thread from his cart.

“O-okay,” I said slowly and held my arms out for him.

He carefully started sewing the pieces of cloth on my arm and torso together, taking pins out as he went.

I watched him curiously. “Do you do this a lot?”

“Yes, Sir, it's my job,” he explained.

“Is it fun?” I asked curiously.

“Very, I love designing clothes,” he told me.

“I don't think I'd be very good at it,” I commented and tried to stay still for him.

“It takes a lot of practice,” he replied.

I nodded. “I'm Odin by the way,” I introduced.

“Odin,” he repeated. “Odin what?” he asked curiously.

“Lukin,” I replied.

“Odin Lukin,” he said nodding. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Sir,” I replied. Mama always scolded me when I called adults by their first names.

“Did you want more than one suit?” he asked.

“Do you think I'd need one?” I asked curiously.

“I think you will. But it's up to you. I like to have different options for different events,” he told me.

“Events,” I said softly and looked around. “What sort of events?”

“Dinners, Meetings, stuff like that,” he explained.

“Do you think they'd have me go to meetings?” I asked curiously.

“Probably not. Not until you get a job the President will give you,” he replied.

“Right, I need a job,” I commented to myself.

“What kind of job would you like?” he asked curiously.

“I have no idea,” I told him softly. “I never thought about it. I just always knew I'd be at the house with Mama.”

“Well, you can be basically anything you want,” he told me.

“What all is there?” I asked him curiously. “Sorry, I'm not bothering you, am I?”

“You're not bothering me, I like to talk while working,” he assured me. “And there is basically anything you can think of. You can work for the President personally, like me. This ranges from running errands for him or giving him what he needs. Or you can work for the government. I don't really know what all that consists of. That's a question for the President.”

I nodded. “That's cool, I'm not sure what I'd enjoy. I assume it would be nice to enjoy the job you get.”

“That would be ideal. You don't want to do something you hate,” he explained.

“I get to go to college,” I said softly.

“If you want to,” he said nodding.

“That would be amazing,” I told him excitedly.

“I'm sure the President would send you to college if you asked him to,” he mentioned.

“Do you think so?” I asked excitedly and moved a little too much. I jumped when he stuck me.

He chuckled a little. “Sorry,” he told me. “I think so,” he said nodding.

“I could actually fit in too,” I said softly.

“That's very true,” he replied.

“Then they'd take me seriously,” I continued.

“Yes they would,” he said nodding.

I smiled at the thought. “This is amazing. I still can't believe I'm really here.”

“Why not?” he asked curiously.

“I just...I always thought I'd be at home forever. When I was there I always wanted to live in Sinta. Then that was gone and all of a sudden I'm thrown into the capital,” I told him. “It's very surreal.”

“It is a lot to take in,” he said with a shrug.

I nodded. “I'm really happy, it's just the way I got here that bothers me.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I lost my family in one of the attacks,” I explained softly. “The soldier said he thought I was the only survivor in Sinta.”

“Oh, I'm very sorry,” he told me.

“It's okay,” I told him quietly. “I just feel bad that I'm here and my family is just gone.”

“I understand,” he said nodding.

I nodded and looked down to watch him sew.

“Did you want more than one suit? I don't recall your answer,” he asked.

“I'm sorry, I don't think I answered you,” I told him softly. “I think just this one will be fine for now. When I get a job could I contact you again?”

“Of course,” he replied with a nod.

“Then this one and my sweater will be fine for now,” I told him.

“Yes, Sir,” he told me.

“Thank you for making me something nice,” I told him.

“You're welcome, I'm almost done, I just need to make the tie,” he told me.

I nodded. “Alright.”

He nodded at my suit, satisfied. He sat down on the bed to start sewing something together.

I examined the suit and wiggled around a little. Comfy. I always thought they'd be comfortable and now I knew.

“Is that good?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, yeah, it's comfortable,” I explained and walked over to the bed. I picked up my radio and started examining it again as he worked.

“What is that?” he asked looking at my radio.

“A radio,” I told him like it was obvious.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

“Interesting,” he said nodding and went back to sewing.

“Have you never seen one or something?” I asked curiously.

“I've seen a radio but not one that old,” he explained.

I looked down at it. This was the newest piece of technology I had. I sort of shrugged and scrolled through the static, looking for something to listen to.

After a while he smiled proudly down at the tie he made. “Here you go,” he said and held it out to me.

I took it and examined it. “This is awesome, thanks,” I told him with a smile.

“You're welcome,” he replied.

I set it down along with my radio, turning it off. I wondered if I had a shower or something in here. There were a few doors off in the corner of the room. I assumed that's what that was.

“Is there anything else you need?” he asked standing up.

“No, Sir, I think this will be good,” I replied and looked down at my new clothes.

“Very well, let me know if you need anything,” he told me and started cleaning up his stuff.

“I will,” I assured him with a nod.

He returned the nod before leaving my room, closing the door behind him.

He was nice. I examined my suit again before pulling everything off. I laid it out on the bed and walked to one of the doors.

I opened it up and it was a huge bathroom. I walked in and admired the white tile. I looked in the mirror and examined myself. I looked rather dingy.

I decided that I needed a shower and walked over to that to cut on the water. I stood there a long time, letting the hot water pour across me.

After that, I wandered back into my room and climbed in bed. I nuzzled into the silky pillows and felt the exhaustion hit me. I needed to get some sleep. Who knew what I'd be doing tomorrow.

I watched the wall, wondering what time it was. There was no clock or anything in here. I didn't want it to be tomorrow. That lady was going to come back in here with touchy guys.

I shuddered a little and closed my eyes. I just had to push through a little longer. Surely my Commander will come back for me. He had to.

The door beeped. “Hello, pretty girl,” that lady cooed as she walked in.

I tensed up just at the sound of her voice but relaxed so she wouldn't notice.

“Do you have a name yet?” she asked curiously and stepped in front of me.

I glared at her and bit my tongue hard.

“I figured,” she commented with a huge grin.

I gritted my teeth and wiggled in my restraints slightly.

“Oh, no, no. You're not allowed to leave, pretty girl. I'm not done with you,” she purred with a grin.

I shifted and stared straight ahead at the wall. Have no reaction and she'll leave.

She walked behind me and started messing with my arms again. “Don't worry, I won't harass you as much today.”

I let out a little sigh through my nose and closed my eyes again.

The door beeped again.

“But they probably will,” she purred and covered my eyes with her hands.

I quickly tried to get away from her. It was probably those touchy guys she was talking about. But my instincts kicked in and I jerked my wrists.

She laughed at me. “Can't escape, pretty girl.”

I gritted my teeth and jerked again, feeling the metal dig into my wrists.

I heard a few male voices, laughing as well.

“Do I get a name?” she purred into my ear.

No reaction. I forced myself to relax and ignore the fact that I couldn't see. No reaction.

“That's fine,” she purred and I felt a rough hand graze my stomach.

I gasped a little and jerked away quickly. I silently scolded myself. No reaction.

“I bet she won't be so still afterwards,” a male voice commented and the hand trailed up my stomach.

I trembled uncomfortably and forced myself to sit still. That hand continued up my stomach and I felt another hand trace up my thigh slowly. The lady laughed and kept my eyes covered. I tried to ignore them but it was just too weird.

I jerked my leg away from the hand as best as I could but the metal cuff just dug into my ankle.

“Told you,” the same voiced commented and another hand traced the edge of my jaw and down my throat.

I swallowed hard and jerked my head. The lady let me see again and wrapped her hands around my hair, like she was going to put it up in a ponytail. Instead she jerked it up and held my head in an interesting position. I glared up at her, refusing to look at the men.

“That's right, glare. I love it,” she told me and the men continued running their hands across me.

I gritted my teeth and stared straight ahead again but ended up closing my eyes.

“Can you not even look at me? Pathetic, pretty girl,” she taunted and I heard the men laugh.

I breathed hard and ignore her and their laughter. One of the hands gripped my thigh tightly. I accidentally squeaked a little and tensed up quickly.

“Pretty girl, pretty girl,” they all taunted and the hand on my thigh crept up further. Another hand crept up my throat and he dug his nails into my skin. The last hand worked it's way up my tank top, slowly going up.

A whimper jumped out of my throat. I scolded myself again and squeezed my eyes shut tighter. I didn’t like this. I had to get them off of me. I was going to freak out.

“Does the pretty girl have a name yet?” the lady purred.

I bit my lip. What if I tell them my name and then they just push for more? But they could leave me alone then. I highly doubted that. I could do it.

“Come on, I’ll make them back off,” she promised.

Should I believe her? I really didn’t want them on me anymore. I could just fake a name anyway. I nodded a little and trembled slightly.

“But you might lie,” she commented and the men gripped me rougher. “I don’t really like liars.”

I squeaked again and shook my head quickly.

“Plus, you seem to be a really good soldier. You’re smart,” she mentioned.

“And pretty,” one of the men growled.

I swallowed hard and shook my head again.

“I think I’d need a reason to believe you,” she continued and I felt a hand creep further up my bare stomach.

I hesitated and looked up at her carefully.

“What is it?” she asked curiously.

I swallowed again and looked away. I knew I shouldn’t trust her. Stay quiet and try not to have a reaction.

“Rude,” she commented and the hand on my stomach went up more.

No reaction. I looked back up at her with a scowl.

She smirked and I felt two hands on either thigh now. I started trembling slightly and I tensed up to make it stop. What did she want? Even if I told her my real name, she probably wouldn’t believe me. The hand gripped me even tighter and the lady chuckled at my discomfort.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and balled up my fists.

“What do you do in the military?” the woman asked curiously. “Are you just a foot soldier?”

I breathed hard and ignored her. Don’t talk about what I do. That would be a really bad idea.

“They won’t care about a foot soldier,” she continued and I felt the hand on my stomach slip out of my shirt.

I relaxed a little but kept my hands and jaw tight.

“You know they don’t care. That’s fine, we’ll care for you,” she purred and I felt someone grab my tank top and tear it in half.

I gasped a little and looked at the guy who had torn my shirt in disgust. He smirked at me then examined me slowly. I gritted my teeth before slamming my forehead into his nose hard. He jumped back and grabbed his nose. The woman jerked my hair back, forcing my head up. I felt the same guy grab my sides roughly, digging his nails into my skin.

I winced and tried to get away from him. I couldn’t take this anymore. I had to have a reaction. The man chuckled and ran his fingers up my sides. I tensed up and squirmed in his grip, shaking my head quickly.

The woman held my hair tighter and I felt the hand on my throat go down to my thighs. The guy who had torn my shirt was getting a little too close for comfort. I backed up as far as I could in the chair and trembled more involuntarily. I could feel his breath against my stomach and he chuckled.

“So cute,” the woman commented and held my hair tighter.

I sucked in my stomach as much as possible and whimpered before I could stop myself.

“So cute,” the woman repeated and I felt the guy’s lips brush against my stomach. The other guy held my thighs tightly.

I jerked away from the first guy. What was he doing? I didn’t like that at all. He grabbed my hips and kissed my stomach again.

“What are you doing?” I accidentally asked in confusion and bit my tongue.

He grinned against my stomach and kissed it deeper. I bit my tongue more and jerked against the cuffs again. He grinned against me and started kissing downwards. I shifted uncomfortably and another whimper jumped out of my throat.

“Keep going,” the woman ordered and he grinned bigger against me.

I shook my head quickly like that would make him stop. I breathed hard and tried to jerk my head out of the woman’s grip. She held me tighter and laughed. He ran his fingers up my sides and kissed between my hips slowly. I attempted to try and hit the guy with my hip bone as hard as I could. He pinned my hips against the chair and continued kissing me.

I squeaked again. “Stop,” I breathed.

“Why?” he breathed.

“I don’t like it,” I told him.

“And?” he breathed and continued kissing me. He ran his teeth across my hips.

I trembled and bit my lip hard. Just stay quiet and push through. Not like I can stop them.

He pushed at the top of my jeans and pulled them down ever so slightly to kiss further down.

What was he doing? This was weird and wrong. All wrong. I looked around quickly to try and find a way out.

“Oh, watch, pretty girl,” the woman demanded sweetly and tilted my head so I had to watch him go down further.

An idea popped into my head and I watched him carefully. I slowly started to act like I liked what he was doing. I leaned my hips into him and closed my eyes blissfully.

“My turn,” I heard another guy bark and the one kissing me got pulled away.

I hesitated and looked at the guy that wanted his turn. “What are you going to do?” I asked sweetly and looked him up and down.

“Shut up,” he told me and grabbed my throat. He pushed my head back and started biting down my throat roughly.

I forced a noise out of my throat and closed my eyes again, leaning into him slightly. I had to act like I was into it. He ran his nails up my stomach quickly and grabbed a hold of me. I pulled on my restraints and made a complaining noise.

He pulled away and gave the woman a confused look. She shrugged.

“I’m not untying her,” she said simply. “She’s just trying to mess with you.”

“I actually like him,” I mentioned and grinned a little.

“Nice try,” she commented and grabbed my throat, squeezing it slightly. “Now shut up.”

I glared at her. I don’t talk and she gets irritated. I talk and she gets irritated. Terras are so confusing and annoying. I looked back at the guy and made sure to act like I wanted him to continue.

He smirked at me and continued to kiss across my neck. The door beeped.

“Ruby, come with us,” a male voice said and she sighed.

“I’m busy,” she replied simply.

“It’s urgent,” he told her.

“Better be,” she hissed and let go of me to storm out.

I sighed with relief and waited for the guy to get off me until she came back. He didn’t stop though, he kept kissing my neck. Another guy took the woman’s place of holding my hair tightly.

I tried not to act confused. This was my chance to get out. I plastered a devious grin on my face and leaned into the guy kissing me. He ran his fingers through my hair roughly and held me himself. I made my eyes flutter slightly and a noise jump out of my throat again. He chuckled.

“I like you a lot better when she isn’t here,” he breathed into my ear before grazing his teeth across it.

“I’m sure you’d like me more if I could use my hands,” I commented and grinned.

He pulled away enough to smile at me. “Prove it,” he told me.

“With or without my hands?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Kiss me and I’ll let your hands go,” he told me.

Do what? The first guy kissed my stomach. Is that what he wanted? What? “Come here then,” I purred, trying to act like I knew what to do.

He inched his face forward and kissed my lips softly.

This was weird. This was really weird. I hid my hesitation and copied what he was doing. He kissed me deeper and gripped the back of my head to hold me still. I followed his lead and breathed hard. He pulled away and grinned at me.

“You win,” he commented and started to take off my wrist restraints.

I grinned. I couldn’t just run out. I had to lead him on to distract him. I pulled off my torn shirt and tossed it to the side. He gazed at me like I was a meal or something. He ran his fingers up my bare stomach and kissed my neck again. I forced another noise out and grabbed his arms. He breathed hard against me and leaned against me more.

“It’s hard to work with my legs tied too,” I breathed into his ear sweetly.

He nodded quickly and crawled off of me to untie my ankles.

“Perfect,” I purred and stood up carefully, grinning down at him.

He stood up and wrapped his arms around me with a smirk.

I ran my fingers up and down his arms like that woman did to me and looked up at him sweetly. “Are you just going to let them watch?” I asked glancing at the other men.

He looked at the two guys. “Out,” he demanded.

“Turner,” one of the guys warned.

“Out,” he barked harshly.

“Idiot,” the other guy grumbled and they both started to walk out.

I grinned up at Turner and ran my nails along his arms, waiting for the right opportunity to bolt. He grabbed my hands and trailed them down his chest and past his waist.

“Forgive my ignorance,” I told him and grabbed at the top of his jeans like that one guy had done to me.

“That’s fine,” he purred.

“Great,” I purred back and stepped forward, making him step back until he backed into the wall right beside the door.

He ran his hands down my back and around to the front of my jeans. He started fumbling with the button on the front.

I chuckled and grabbed his hands to put them against the wall. I leaned down to kiss his stomach like that guy had done to me. I assume that was right. He chuckled and pressed his hips against me. I kissed up to his chest, trying to hide my hesitation and glanced up at him sweetly. His eyes were closed and he was grinning ear to ear.

I had to do this quickly. I quickly kneed him in the lower gut and let go of his hands to slam my elbow into his nose. Before he could react, I slung the door open and closed it to run down the hall.

“Hey!” he yelled, but I could tell he was in pain and wasn’t chasing me.

I bolted down the hall and looked around for an exit or something. I noticed Odin walking down the hall amongst all the people. I gritted my teeth and made a beeline to him. I grabbed his throat and twisted him around so his back was to me.

A squeak jumped out of his throat and trembled hard.

“Get me out of here or I snap your throat,” I threatened into his ear.

He nodded quickly. “Would you like a clearer path? Less people?”

“Fine, just get me out of here,” I told him.

He nodded and led me further down the hallway before turning left. The hallway seemed clear and he trembled with each step.

I looked behind me for any of the guys or the woman. I didn’t see any of them and I hoped I could get out of here and back to Opes quickly.

My lip trembled. It was her. She escaped and now she was going to kill me. I picked at my sweater nervously and led her to an elevator. I stopped walking and waited for her to do what she wanted.

She tightened her grip on my throat and pressed the button for the elevator to go down. The door opened, and of course no one was there to help me. I walked in shakily as she guided me. She pressed the ground floor button and let go of my throat to grab my wrists and put them behind me.

I trembled even harder. Where was she taking me? What was she going to do to me?

The elevator dinged as we reached the floor level and she pulled me out.

“Get me out of here,” she told me again.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I breathed and led her down a hallway. It would led us out the back of the capital building. Hopefully there would be guards standing at their posts.

We got out there and of course, there weren’t any guards. They were probably looking for her in the building. She dragged me out of the building and towards the outskirts of the capital.

“W-what are you going to do to me?” I stammered. What was happening? Yesterday I was living like a king, now I was being dragged away from the city.

“I can’t have you telling them where I went and I can’t leave any evidence,” she explained and looked around the sky.

“A-are you...going to kill me?” I whimpered.

“I can’t leave any evidence,” she repeated. “And I’m not going to drag a dead body around.”

I swallowed hard. I’d get to live for now. I didn’t even bother pulling against her. I glanced at her and realized she wasn’t wearing a shirt. My face burned and I looked away quickly.

We stood there against a fallen down building for a long time before a roar filled the air. She sighed with relief and dragged me away from the building as a more advanced version of our aircrafts lowered close to the ground.

“Hurry or you will get killed,” she said and bolted towards the aircraft, dragging me along.

This was not happening. I ran with her as fast as I could to keep up. This was crazy. Insane. Surreal. This wasn’t really happening. There was no way.

She ran faster to easily jump onto the aircraft. “Jump!” she ordered.

I obeyed blindly and lept onto the aircraft with her. I stumbled and hit the floor hard. I looked up nervously. About ten soldiers looked down at me. I swallowed hard. Why did I jump? I stayed on the ground and trembled, looking at the floor.

“Reese,” a deep voice said, sounding relieved.

“Yes, Sir?” the girl asked and stood up straight to look at the man.

“You’re alright,” he said and pulled off his coat to hand it to her. I assumed it was so she could cover herself.

“Thank you, Sir,” she said with a nod and wrapped his coat around her tightly.

“Are you?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, I apologize for the inconvenience of risking everything and coming for me,” she told him.

“It’s alright,” he assured her. “We’ll get you back to Opes.”

Opes. Oh God. I was heading there with them. I trembled even harder.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and looked down at me. “This is the one that brought me to the capital. I figured you would like to know, Sir.”

I looked up at him in terror. I tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“He should be of value,” he said examining me. “Restrain him,” he ordered one of the soldiers.

“Please don’t kill me,” I begged. “I-I-I didn’t...I-I-I,” I stammered in terror and the soldiers laughed at me.

“Gag him as well. I hate Terran accents,” he ordered with a look of disgust.

I grabbed my throat. It was happening all over again. The kids at school mocked me. Apparently I sounded different from the others.

A soldier got up and dug his boot into my back as he tied up my wrists and tied a piece of cloth around my head and into my mouth. I let out a muffled cry, not that it would help.

All the soldiers laughed again but the first man shushed them.

“I will gag all of you if I have to. You’ll learn not to talk,” he threatened.

They all replied with a ‘yes, Sir,’ all at once and went silent. I couldn’t help the whimpers jumping out of my throat and pressed my face against the floor.

The man walked up to me and grabbed the hair on the back of my head and lifted my face up to examine my face. “Does our guest have a name?” he asked curiously.

“Odin, Sir,” the girl replied.

“Odin,” he repeated. “Does he have a last name?”

“I don’t know, Sir,” she told him.

“That’s fine,” he replied. “Secure him,” he ordered and let go of me.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod and took off his jacket so it wouldn’t get in the way as she picked me up by my biceps.

I struggled to stand up for her. I examined the soldiers, they all smirked at me. They didn’t make a sound though.

She pushed me down into a seat against the wall and stood next to me so she could watch me. I hung my head and trembled hard. I tried not to puke from the gag that was crammed halfway down my throat.

After making sure that I wasn’t going anywhere, the girl walked over to the doorway and watched everything fly by us. I tried to sit up better so I could see everything. I was going to Opes. I never thought I’d ever go there. I also never thought I’d go to the capital either. Weird week so far.

We flew for a long time before the colors outside changed from blue oceans to a pale orange desert wasteland looking place. I sat up and tried to see everything again. I had never seen a desert, only read about them. No water, hardly any trees, it seemed desolate. How could people survive here?

I noticed we flew over a city that looked similar to Sinta. I wondered what they’d do to me once we landed. I figured I wouldn’t get the same treatment here as I did in the capital. We flew past the city and towards what looked like giant metal buildings sticking out of the ground. I swallowed hard and sat up against the seat as best as I could. Would the girl kill me? Would that man kill me? Or would they just torment me? I trembled hard thinking about it.

The girl came back over and grabbed my bicep to stand me up. The aircraft shook as it lowered to the ground but nobody seemed to be affected. I hung my head, not wanting to look at anyone. They’d smirk or laugh, I just knew it. I didn’t fit in anywhere it seemed.

The aircraft landed and everyone filed out. The girl dragged me out in front of the man and took me towards the first metal building. I examined my surroundings. Orange and bright. It was hot too, nothing like Sinta had been. I felt like I was going to pass out in my sweater.

“The Terran is yours,” the man told the girl. “Since he is the one who wronged you.”

“Where should I put him, Sir?” she asked.

“Up to you, you may do as you please to him,” he told her with a grin.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod and guided me inside. There were tons of people in all black running in straight lines. Others were messing with machinery or fighting one another. She led me over towards where everyone was fighting and grabbed a bunch of weapons to replace the ones that were taken away.

I trembled hard. What was she going to do to me? I squeezed my eyes shut. I was trapped.

“Come on,” she ordered and grabbed my forearm to lead me to a metal elevator that looked very run down compared to the one in the capital.

I nodded and tried not to think about the gag. It made me want to puke. I suppose that’s why they called it a gag. She pressed the down button and the elevator started to slowly move underground. I felt panicked. I whimpered a little and trembled.

She sighed a little and dragged me out into a long hallway once the elevator doors opened. One wall was lined with beds stacked on top of another. The other wall was filled with shelves with lights coming out of each level. She led me towards the middle and took a black shirt off of the shelf to pull it on, seeming relieved once she had it on.

I examined the room carefully. This must be where everyone lived. It was interesting.

“You can sleep in the bunk above mine for now. You stay there day and night, no wandering around or anything. I will tell you when I want you to come down,” she told me and pointed to the bunk right across the hallway from us.

I nodded nervously so she knew I understood.

“Go on,” she urged waving me towards the bed.

I looked at my wrists then back at her.

“No, I’m not dumb, you can climb a five step ladder without using your hands,” she told me.

I hung my head and nodded. I walked over to the beds and eased my way up into the right bed. I sat there and pressed my back against the wall.

“I’m going to get you some clothes then the interrogation can start,” she told me and walked out of the room before I could respond.

Interrogation? I didn’t know anything. I was pretty much useless. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to prove myself in the capital. I hung my head and sniffled. What would Mama think of me now?

A few minutes later, the girl came back in holding a small stack of clothes. “Come here,” she ordered and stood in front of the bed.

I looked up and crawled out of bed carefully.

“I’m going to untie you, if you think about doing anything then that ugly sweater is going to get a whole lot uglier,” she threatened and took a small knife out of her pocket.

I looked down at my sweater, but looked back up to nod in understanding. She nodded back and walked behind me to cut my restraints then went back in front of me to hold out the clothes. I took them shakily from her and set them on the bed. I stared at her for a moment.

“Are you going to change?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “Or do you want to sweat all the time?”

What was up with people and wanting me to strip in front of them? I turned so my back was facing her and changed quickly. I was in a thin black shirt and a new pair of jeans. They seemed a lot thinner than my other ones. I folded up my old clothes and set them on the bed before turning to look at her.

She went behind me again to put the wrist restraints back on and led me back to the elevator. I felt a lot cooler, but I still trembled in horror. What was she going to do to me now? We went down another floor that was just a hall with doors lining the walls.

She guided me into the first room that had a metal chair in the middle of it and a black box in the upper corner. “Sit,” she ordered.

I nodded and obeyed her quickly. She walked over to take the gag out of my mouth before stepping back and leaning against the wall in front of me.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” I said quickly.

She rose a hand to stop me from talking. “I don’t feel like hearing your apologies,” she told me.

I hung my head. Good job, Odin. Good job.

“I was told that I had to gather information about you before I really do anything I want to do,” she started and started walking around me slowly.

“I don’t know anything,” I told her quickly, my voice wavering in fear. “I-I swear.”

“You swear?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “You don’t even know what I’m going to ask you.”

“Sorry,” I whimpered and looked at the floor.

“What did I say about apologizing?” she asked.

“You didn’t want to hear it,” I replied softly.

“Yes, Sir,” she told me.

I nodded and stared harder at the floor.

“First off, I would like to know your last name,” she told me.

“Lukin,” I replied obediently.

She hesitated. “Lukin?” she asked in shock.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Stop lying, I’m not dumb. What’s your last name?” she asked again, sterner this time.

“W-what?” I stammered.

“I know you’re lying, so tell me your real last name. Try not to pick another commander’s name again,” she advised.

Commander? “It’s...it’s Lukin,” I told her, my voice wavering even more.

“What was your father’s name?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Have you lived in Sinta your whole life?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Did you ever meet your dad?” she asked.

“Why are you asking me about him?” I asked, looking up at her. “I don’t know anything about him.”

She scrunched her eyebrows together as she thought. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen,” I replied.

“Stay here,” she ordered and headed to the door.

“O-okay,” I stammered and watched her leave. I looked around the blank room. Why was she asking about my father?

A couple minutes later, she walked back in with the man from the aircraft. He examined me carefully and she stood straight by the door.

He thought hard for a moment and shook his head. “Commander Lukin was never in Terra. Even then, I’d know if this was him,” he said and gestured at me.

“Yes, Sir, but he claims that Lukin is his last name and everything adds up,” she told him.

He examined me again. “I don’t know,” he said and stared hard at me. “Finish the interrogation. You still get to get back at him for what he did to you. We’ll settle this once I contact some sources.”

“Yes, Sir, I will report my findings after I finish,” she replied with a nod.

He nodded and left the room. She relaxed a little and stared at me for a moment.

“Back to my original questions,” she started and walked around me slowly.

“Who’s Commander Lukin?” I asked slowly.

“Back to my questions,” she said again.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied softly.

“How did you survive the attack on Sinta?” she asked.

“I wasn’t in Sinta. I was at my house, by the coast,” I replied softly. I wasn’t supposed to survive that.

“Then you attacked me?” she asked.

“You ran by my house,” I explained. “No one comes by my house, I was scared.”

“You made a mistake,” she told me.

“I’m sorry,” I whimpered.

“Did you live alone?” she asked.

I shook my head and felt a lump in my throat.

“Who did you live with?” she asked.

“My mother and sister,” I replied quietly.

“Were they affected by the attack?” she asked.

My lip trembled and I nodded.

“By the looks of it, they were in Sinta, weren’t they?” she asked curiously.

“Yes,” I replied. “My sister needed a new dress,” I told her for some reason.

“Shame to hear that she didn’t get that dress,” she said with a hint of mockery in her voice.

I glared up at her.

“Was your mother going to buy her one or make her one?” she asked curiously.

“Doesn’t matter,” I replied and looked back at the ground. They already mocked me because of my accent. I didn’t need to be mocked for being poor.

“Oh but it does. To me at least. I guess it doesn’t matter to you. That’s sad, you not caring about your family,” she commented.

My eyes watered and I blinked it away quickly. “She was going to make it,” I replied softly.

“How sweet,” she mentioned. “Does she make all of you and your sister’s clothes?”

“Not all the time,” I replied.

“I see, now you don’t have to worry about her making any of your clothes,” she told me.

I whimpered and closed my eyes tightly.

“Did I upset you?” she asked softly but I heard a small grin in her voice.

I just shrugged and stared at the floor.

“How did it feel to finally get out of that tiny house?” she asked curiously.

I didn’t want to play this game with her anymore. I shrugged again without looking up.

“I bet it was great. Then you got to go to the capital. How did they treat you?” she asked.

I stayed quiet and refused to look up.

“Did they treat you like normal? Did they treat you like a king? Did they treat you like a piece of s***?” she asked.

I shrugged again.

“They probably treated you like a king. Terrans are always trying to act like they’re all nice and generous just to get people on their good side,” she commented.

“I know Terrans aren’t nice and generous. I’m not stupid,” I commented.

“Of course you’re not. Then you know that they’re cruel and reckless idiots,” she told me.

I didn’t say anything, just continued to stare.

“If they treated you like a king, I bet you forgot all about that little house by the coast. Forgot all about your mother making your clothes, forgot about that sister that needed a dress,” she commented.

“These aren’t questions,” I replied. “You’re just harassing me.”

“Ah, right, right,” she said nodding. “Am I right? Did they treat you like a king? Did you forget about all those little things?”

I didn’t say anything, just ignored her gaze.

“That’s another thing about Terrans. If you give them what they want, they don’t like it. I’ll just go back to harassing you if you don’t answer me,” she threatened.

“No, I didn’t forget,” I replied softly.

“Were you treated like a king?” she asked again.

“Sort of,” I replied.

“Elaborate,” she ordered.

“Not a question,” I replied.

“Care to elaborate?” she asked.

“No,” I told her, shaking my head.

“Very well, I didn’t really need to know all of that. Did you come into contact with the President after they took me to the elevator?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“What did you two talk about?” she asked.

“My future,” I replied softly.

“What about your future?” she asked.

“Just jobs and stuff,” I mumbled.

“Was he offering you a job?” she asked curiously.

“Yes,” I replied.

“What job did he offer?” she asked.

“We didn’t talk about that,” I told her.

“Alright, then what did you talk about?” she asked.

“He just talked about how I’d have to start at the bottom and work my way up,” I replied.

“Was he giving you a job at the capital?” she asked.

“I believe so,” I told her.

“How special. Lose your whole family, turn a bomber in and you get practically anything you want,” she commented. “Isn’t that awesome?”

“No,” I replied.

“No? Why not?” she asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” I replied. “Now quit harassing me and just break my leg or whatever you have to do to be even with me.”

“I asked you a question,” she told me.

I sighed. “I’d rather be home with my family, that’s why.”

“Unfortunately for you, that will never happen again,” she commented. “What are you going to do now?”

“Whatever you tell me to do I suppose,” I replied.

“Good to have your compliance,” she said with a nod. “Interrogation over, now time to ‘break your leg or whatever’.”

I trembled slightly. “Okay.”

She took the small knife out of her pocket and walked behind me to cut my restraints. “Shirt off,” she ordered.

I trembled even harder, but obeyed her. She walked back in front of me and was about to put the blade against my chest but stopped herself.

“Where’d you get that?” she asked and grabbed my necklace.

“Doesn’t matter, just do it,” I told her, wanting to get this over with.

“No, where did you get this?” she asked louder.

I trembled and shrugged a little. She’d just have another comment about my mother.

“Bullshit. Tell me!” she demanded.

I jumped and grabbed my necklace quickly.

She sighed in annoyance and grabbed my wrists to restrain them behind my back again. “Stay here,” she ordered before walking out of the room again.

I swallowed hard and trembled in the cold. I looked down at my necklace. Why did it matter? It was just a necklace from my mother.

She walked back in with the man again. He seemed more intrigued this time and walked over to examine my necklace.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

I swallowed hard and looked at the girl. I looked back at him nervously. “My mother.”

“You’ve lived in Sinta your whole life?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir,” I said in a trembling voice.

“Do you know if your mother has ever been to Opes?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know,” I stammered.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked gesturing to my necklace.

“It means strength,” I replied simply. That’s what Mama always told me.

“Yes, but do you know what else it is?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“This is the Opes symbol,” he explained.

I looked down at it. Mama never said that. No wonder she always tucked it in my shirt.

“Commander Lukin made a necklace exactly like this one,” he continued.

I looked up at him. “My father was a Opes commander?”

“By the looks of it, yes. Which would explain a lot. Your appearance, everything that connects you to him,” he replied.

I looked down at the floor. How did I not know this? I didn’t even recognize Opes’ symbol. I had been wearing it for years.

“Commander Lukin was our best commander. I’m afraid that I’ll have to cut your vengeance short, Reese, my apologies but I cannot have our best commanders son get maimed,” he told the girl.

She seemed a little annoyed but nodded. “Yes, Sir,” she replied.

I looked up at him. “W-wait, that’s it?” I asked softly. “My father was a commander and I’m free?”

“Free? As in you get to go back to Terra’s capital and live like normal?” he asked curiously.

“Well, when you say it like that it makes me sound like an idiot,” I mumbled.

“Well, you don’t have to be an idiot because you’re staying here to train and live out your father’s legacy,” he told me.

I looked up at him in confusion. “What?”

“Reese shall show you around and explain how things work around here. If you have any questions, report to her,” he told me.

“You’re going to train me? Train me to become a soldier? In Opes?” I asked, laughing a little.

“How important would you say you were to the President of Terra?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know, he offered me a capital job,” I told him with a shrug.

“He would turn a farm boy into a high positioned businessman. You were important. So you won’t become a soldier, you’ll become a commander,” he told me.

“This is a very cruel joke, Sir,” I replied.

He gritted his teeth and got close to my face. “First lesson, don’t back talk or sass me,” he growled.

“Sorry, Sir,” I said quickly. “I...I just...” I tried to get out as fast as I could.

He sighed in annoyance and stood up straight. “Learn to speak properly as well.”

I nodded and swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir.”

“Now,” he started and walked behind me to take off my restraints. “Put on your shirt and you may be Reese’s apprentice for now,” he told me.

I pulled my shirt over my head and eyed her carefully. “She’s going to make me a commander?”

“Yes, she is highly trained in almost every aspect and is training to become a commander herself. She will catch you up on everything she knows,” he explained.

I nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“Obey and respect her and all the other soldiers, she will be your chief while you are training,” he told me. “Disobedience and disrespect in any regard results in discipline.”

I nodded again in understanding. “Yes, Sir.”

“Alright then, bring me a report of his progress by the end of every week,” he told the girl.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied before he left the room again.

I looked at her nervously. “What were you going to carve into my chest?”

She smirked a little. “Follow me,” she ordered and opened the door to walk out into the hall.

I followed after her quickly. Now I was a soldier. Me. Skinny little farm boy. This had to be a joke.

“The setup of the building is simple. The lowest floor is where all the interrogations and punishments are enacted,” she said gesturing to the hall we were in. “The floor above us is where everyone sleeps. Regular soldiers sleep on the bunks. Higher ranks get their own room. The ground floor is for training. The room above that is where everyone eats and meets for missions,” she explained.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied softly and looked around.

“There is one other buildings set up the same way. We’re split up into sections. Sections A through M is in this building. Sections N through Z are in the other building. You are in my section for now, Section C. But when you are on your own, you’ll transfer to section L,” she continued.

I nodded again. I was terrified to be here. At least I wasn’t blonde, that would really screw me over. Every time I spoke I’d be screwed though. I spoke a lot too.

“You will still be staying in the bed above me so I can keep an eye on you,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

“We’ll start training right after breakfast tomorrow. The alarm will go off at six and you’ll need to be on the top floor by six fifteen. I will wait for you the first couple of times,” she continued.

“What does training consist of?” I asked nervously.

“We’ll start off with the basics on how to act like a soldier. Then we’ll go to the basics of hand to hand combat. Fighting with different weapons. Then I’ll begin training you the different duties of being a commander,” she explained.

I let out a nervous breath. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“We still have some time before dinner. Would you like a real tour of our building?” she asked.

“If you don’t mind,” I replied.

She nodded and led me back to the elevator. I followed after her carefully, still examining my new surroundings. This would be interesting.

“Stand straight,” I ordered and tapped his back with a short, metal pole. “Feet together,” I continued and poked his feet. “Look straight ahead,” I said and stood in front of Odin. “Do not make eye contact unless you’re told to.”

He winced and tried to obey. He was too tense and still trembling. He bit hard on his lip and tried not to look at me. He would still glance at me, then at the wall over and over.

I sighed a little. “Alright, let's try this. Relax,” I told him. I didn't think training him like I was trained was going to work.

He relaxed slightly and looked at the ground sheepishly.

“Show me how you would stand if the captain came in here right now,” I told him.

He thought about it and stood up straight.

“You're all about manners, right? At least that's how you were raised?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“What I'm teaching you is just more manners. To be polite, don't make eye contact,” I explained.

“That's polite?” he asked curiously.

“In the military, yes. If you make eye contact with a soldier, it's like making eye contact with an aggressive dog,” I told him. “They take it as a threat or challenge.”

He nodded. “Alright, good to know.”

“To be polite, put your feet together,” I continued.

He looked down and put his feet together for me.

“It's polite because in combat, your feet are spread apart. This is showing that you won't fight them at that time,” I explained.

“Combat?” he asked nervously. “I'll have to fight people?”

“Unless you take up a high rank like the captain, yes, you'll be fighting people,” I replied with a nod.

He trembled a little more. “Okay,” he said softly.

“Are you starting to feel nervous?” I asked.

He laughed a little. “Nervous isn't the right word for it anymore.”

“Well, whatever it is, you need to learn to get rid of it. Being nervous or anxious or anything will get you killed,” I told him.

He closed his eyes tightly and nodded.

“You're not a farm boy anymore. You're a soldier,” I told him. “In training,” I added with a shrug.

“Apparently,” he breathed.

“Being a soldier means to not be scared. And if you are scared, don't show it. Others feed off of that, they can tell when someone is not hiding their fear very well. That's why those soldiers were laughing at you on the plane,” I explained.

“I don't know how to hide it,” he told me and opened his eyes.

“You'll learn, it's different for everyone. I simply just ignore what's scaring me and I've learned not to let anything scare me at all,” I told him. “You'll probably need a different mechanism.”

He nodded and looked down at the floor again.

“Would you like to try and stand properly again?” I asked.

He sighed, but nodded. He stood up straight and kept his feet together.

I walked around him slowly to see if anything was wrong. I walked in front of him and looked up at him to see if he'd look back.

He seemed nervous, but he didn't glance down at me.

“It's just me, there's nothing to be nervous about,” I assured him.

“You almost cut me open,” he mentioned. “You harassed me too. It's just you. That's why I'm nervous. Or at least one reason why.”

“Forget all that stuff. I'm your chief and if you were actually trained, I'd send you down to the bottom floor to be punished,” I told him.

“Because I'm nervous?” he asked me.

“Because you back talked,” I corrected him.

He swallowed hard. “I'm bad about that that.”

“What would have been your reaction if I said that to you? That you almost cut me open and you harassed me,” I asked curiously.

He shrugged and looked down again. “Sorry.”

“You would have said sorry?” I asked.

“I don't know what I would have said,” he replied.

“If you would have a bad reaction or no reaction, then don't say it,” I told him. “Play it in your head.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“That's your next lesson, always have a Ma'am or Sir in your sentence,” I told him.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“That one is easy,” I said with a shrug.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Want to learn the parade rest stance?” I asked.

“Is that not what I was doing?” he asked curiously.

“No, you’re at attention right now,” I told him.

“Is there a test on all this?” he asked curiously.

“A test on your life, sure,” I said nodding.

“I'm so screwed,” he breathed.

“Not if you practice,” I told him.

“What if I mess up in practice? Are you going to discipline me?” he asked softly.

“No, you’re practicing,” I told him shaking my head.

“Oh good,” he breathed and swallowed hard. “What would you do if I messed up outside of practice?”

“I would make you practice more,” I replied simply.

He nodded. “That's not bad.”

I scoffed a little. “Alright, do you want to learn the parade rest stance?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied with a nod.

“This one has your feet shoulder width apart,” I started.

He looked down and separated his feet accordingly.

“Hands folded behind your back,” I continued.

He looked up at me and folded his hands behind his back. I walked behind him to see how he did it. I adjusted his hands to the right position then went back in front of him.

“Then you need to stand up straight and stare straight ahead like when you're in attention,” I told him.

He nodded and stared straight ahead for a second.

“Can I ask a question?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, what is it?” I asked.

“Can I watch you do the stances, then copy?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah,” I said nodding and stepped back. “Which one would you like to see?”

“Both,” he replied and stood normally.

“Attention,” I claimed and stood up straight with my feet together and hands at my sides like I had done for years.

He examined me carefully and then copied.

I dropped my stance to examine him back. I nodded in approval and stepped back again. “Parade rest,” I called and put my hands behind my back and spread my feet apart.

He dropped his stance to walk around and examined me. He then copied me. I walked around him as well and nodded again.

“Now I'll call and you show the stance,” I told him.

He nodded and stood normally.

“Attention!” I called.

He stood at attention quickly.

I examined him. “Parade rest,” I called.

He dropped into the new stance. Still staring straight ahead.

“Very good,” I praised. “See, no reason to be nervous.”

He smiled a little and looked back at the floor.

The lunch alarm went off and I nodded. “Lunch?” I asked him curiously.

He looked nervous, but nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Follow me,” I replied and led him to the elevator.

He followed after me, I could tell he was getting anxious again.

“Calm down, this is your family now,” I told him softly without looking back at him.

“They don't like me,” he replied softly.

“Because you're nervous around them. They think you're up to something,” I told him.

“Maybe that's what some of them think,” he replied. “Some of them just don't like me.”

“Because they don't trust you. Get them to trust you,” I told him. “Interact with them.”

“That's the last thing I want to do,” he told me softly.

“You'll have to at least sit with them at meals,” I replied.

“They stare,” he commented.

“So? You look different. We've never had a Terran soldier before. They'll learn to just forget about it,” I assured him.

“I know the difference between a curious stare and a ‘you shouldn't be here’ stare,” he told me quietly.

“That's because you shouldn't be here. But you are, so get over it,” I told him.

He didn't reply, just hung his head.

“Come on,” I urged and led him to my regular table with my section.

He sat down beside me carefully and tried to look up at everyone.

“Hey, farm boy,” one of the guys, Jax greeted Odin.

Instead of speaking, he nodded politely.

“Heard you started training today,” he commented.

Odin nodded again.

“Do we have a mute soldier?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

Odin shook his head in response.

“Then it would be nice to get a real response,” he spat.

He jumped. “Sorry, Sir.”

“That's better,” he replied with a grin.

“Jax,” I scolded and glared at him.

“You can't baby him,” he told me with a smirk.

“I'm not babying him, I'm just trying to get the asshole off his back,” I told him.

“He can deal with a little yelling, might be good for him,” he told me with a shrug.

“You're not his chief, you don't get to make those calls,” I replied.

“I'm just being a friend,” he told me and grinned at Odin.

“Friend?” I scoffed. “Alright.”

Odin looked down at his lap and swallowed hard.

I sighed a little and started eating my food.

“You're so skinny,” the girl on the other side of Odin commented.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied and Jax chuckled.

“I thought Terrans were bigger,” she continued.

He nodded. “Most are,” he replied.

“Why aren't you?” she asked.

He shifted slightly. “I...I didn't really have access to what most Terrans have,” he explained.

She nodded and continued eating. He swallowed hard and pushed his food around a little before he started eating.

“We're going to continue training after lunch,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

I nodded and looked around as I took another bite of my food. I heard Jax and the guy next to him attempt to mock Odin’s accent. They ended up failing and laughing at each other.

I rolled my eyes at them and shook my head. I could practically feel Odin cowering beside me. I looked over at his plate and waited for him to finish the majority of it.

“Are you done?” I asked him, knowing he wanted to get out of here.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said softly.

“Let's go get started then,” I replied and stood up.

He stood up. “Where do I take my plate?”

“There are trash cans this way,” I told him and picked up my plate to lead him back towards the exit.

He grabbed his plate and scarfed down what was left as he walked. I tossed my plate into the trash and led him out of the room.

He followed after me. “Am I really that skinny?” he asked softly.

“Compared to the other Terrans we've come into contact with, yes. But you'll get bigger as you train,” I assured him.

He nodded. “I don't...I don't sound like that, right?”

“No, they're just imbeciles,” I explained.

“Just checking,” he said quietly.

“The best thing you can do if they mock you like that us to just joke along with them,” I explained.

“Easier said than done, Ma’am,” he told me.

“You'll get the hang of it,” I promised.

“I have another question,” he mentioned.

“Yes, Sir?” I asked as we got into the elevator.

“Do I get to have anything? Like, personal or is that not a right I get?” he asked curiously.

“Depends on what it is,” I replied.

“A notebook and pen? Or pencil, I'm not picky,” he asked nervously.

“I don’t know, that’s a question for Commander. I’ve never had any interest in belongings,” I told him.

“Okay,” he replied. “I just don't want to ask and get in trouble.”

“Just be respectful about it and don’t argue,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied. “What are we going to work on?”

“If you’re confident in how to act like a soldier then you are going to show me how well you can fight,” I explained.

“Wait, what? I can't fight,” he told me.

“Then show me how you think you should fight,” I replied.

“O-okay,” he said nervously.

“You won’t be fighting me just yet, you’ll be practicing on a dummy for now,” I told him and walked towards the line of dummies in the training room.

He hesitated. “Can you give me a few tips?”

“After I see where you are at,” I said nodding.

“Alright,” he said with a nod.

I stood beside a dummy and looked at him expectantly. “It won’t hit back so you can do whatever you want.”

He nodded and stared at it with the funniest look of confusion.

I stared at him for a moment and chuckled. “It’s running scared,” I joked.

“I don't know what to do,” he admitted and rubbed his arm.

“Hit it,” I ordered.

He swallowed hard and hesitated before punching it.

“Was that as hard as you could punch?” I asked curiously.

“No,” he replied and examined his knuckles.

“Punch as hard as you can,” I ordered.

He nodded as he clenched and unclenched his hand. He hesitated again before hitting the dummy again.

“Alright,” I said nodding. “Do you want me to show you the fighting stance and you copy me?”

He nodded and shook his hand.

I nodded back and spread my feet apart and held up my fists like I always did. He copied me after examining me carefully. I dropped my stance to examine him. I turned his head to look at the dummy and raised his hands slightly.

“Focus on the center of the dummy. Rear back ever so slightly, and hit it with your knuckles,” I told him and stepped back.

He nodded and shifted in his stance before hitting the dummy like I had instructed.

“Good, again,” I ordered.

He nodded and hit it again. He winced and shook his hand again.

“It’ll stop hurting once you build those calyces,” I assured him. “Again, two punches this time.”

He nodded and clenched his trembling hand. He hit the dummy twice, making his hand tremble even more.

“Hang on,” I said and walked over to a cabinet. I opened it up and grabbed some gauze. I walked back to him and handed it to him. “This will help,” I told him.

He nodded and breathed hard, looking at his busted knuckles. He carefully wrapped it up as tight as he could get it.

“Is this right?” he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

“Is it comfortable?” I asked.

He clenched and unclenched his fist again. “Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“Hit the dummy again,” I ordered.

He nodded and slid into the correct stance again. He dropped the roll of bandages on the floor. He hesitated before hitting the dummy and gritted his teeth.

“I suppose my other hand wouldn’t be any better,” he commented, looking back at me.

“Wrap it up and we’ll see,” I told him.

He grabbed the bandages off the floor and slowly wrapped up that hand as well. He examined his hands carefully.

He swallowed hard and hit the dummy with his left hand and yelped. “Nope, not better,” he told me quickly and gripped his hand.

“You have to build your strength,” I told him.

He hesitated and nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” he replied softly and let go of his hand to lean back into his stance. “Is this what it feels like to punch another human?” he asked curiously.

“No,” I told him shaking my head.

“Is it harder or softer?” he asked curiously.

“Punching muscle is harder. Punching fat is softer,” I explained.

He nodded and hit the dummy with his right hand a few times before switching to his left. He winced a lot more with his left, but he kept at it.

I watched him for a little while before stopping him. “Try using your elbow, put a lot of force into it.”

“Elbow,” he said curiously and rubbed his nose. “Right,” he mumbled and hit the dummy with his elbow.

“Hit with the front of the elbow,” I ordered.

He nodded and obeyed.

“Hit the other side with the back of your elbow,” I continued.

“Other side with the back of my elbow,” he mumbled to himself and did as he was ordered.

I nodded. “Watch me,” I told him and demonstrated on the dummy beside his.

He watched me closely, then copied a few times. He was breathing hard, but he didn't fall out of his stance.

I nodded again and hit the dummy in the side with my knee, waiting for him to copy me. He thought about it for a second before copying me.

“Alright, I'm going to give you a sequence and I want you to repeat it until I tell you to stop,” I told him.

He nodded, breathing hard. “I can do sequences.”

I punched the dummy once with each hand, hit it twice with my elbow then once with my knee.

“Same spots too, or just the motions?” he asked curiously.

“Try to get it in the same spot,” I told him.

He tried to steady his breathing and nodded. He stepped into his stance before starting the sequence I had shown him.

“When you rear back, breathe in. When you hit it, breathe out,” I told him. “Go slow until you get the hang of it.”

He nodded and started mouthing something as he did the sequence slower.

I gave him a curious look but didn't ask, just watched him. After a little bit he started breathing harder and started hitting a lot weaker. He didn't stop though.

“Alright, break,” I told him.

He stopped and started breathing harder. He clutched his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, tilting his head back slightly.

“Do you want some water?” I asked.

He nodded and swallowed hard, making a painful face.

“Okay,” I replied and walked over to the fridge that is always full of bottled water. I brought a couple to him with a small smile.

“How long is it going to hurt?” he breathed. He had his hands held out in front of himself, watching them tremble.

“The more you practice, the more it'll hurt but the quicker it'll stop,” I explained.

He nodded and clenched his fists. “I didn't think it would hurt this bad.”

“It's because you've never done this before,” I replied.

“It's going to hurt worse,” he breathed.

“But it'll stop quickly,” I promised.

He nodded. “Can I have a water?” he asked softly and gestured at the bottles.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and held one out to him.

He took it from me and stared at it curiously before opening it and drinking half of it.

I offered him a smile and opened a bottle for myself.

“You guys have such amazing things,” he commented and smiled back at me.

“Do we?” I asked curiously.

He nodded quickly. “Oh, yeah. Your aircrafts are gorgeous. Your weapons are crazy too. Everything is just amazing here.”

“Thanks,” I replied like I did all of it.

“This is pretty cool too,” he commented and examined the bottle of water.

“The bottle of water?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied with a nod.

I nodded back and sat down on the floor. “What was it like living without all this?” I asked curiously then shook my head. “Sorry, ignore that.”

“I don't mind answering questions,” he told me with a shrug.

“It's fine,” I told him shaking my head.

“Okay, Ma’am,” he replied obediently and drank the rest of his water.

“You're learning quickly, you do just have to learn to fit in better,” I told him.

He nodded. “I'm really bad about that.”

“You'll get it,” I promised. “We don't stick with biases for very long.”

“Will I blend in eventually?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He sighed with relief. “Oh, good.”

“You have to try to blend in though,” I told him sternly.

“How?” he asked curiously.

“Joke around with them, act normal. Hanging out with the other soldiers at meals doesn't require you to stand a certain way or say certain things,” I explained.

“Okay,” he replied with a nod and looked back down at his hands.

“Just be you, they really won't care as long as you don't insult them,” I told him.

“I wouldn't insult anyone, Ma’am,” he told me quickly.

“That includes back talking,” I replied.

He hung his head. “I didn't mean to do that.”

“I know, that's why I'm teaching you,” I told him.

He nodded in understanding. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” I said with a smile.

He smiled back. “Where do I put this?” he asked curiously, holding up his empty water bottle.

“In the nearest trash can, I'll get it,” I said standing up and took it from him.

“Thank you,” he said with a nod.

“You're welcome, you can continue training if you'd like,” I mentioned.

He nodded sternly and walked back over the the dummy to start his sequence again.

I stood beside him to watch and noted all the good and bad things.

I gritted my teeth and held my hands. They ached horribly. I wished they would just get tougher, then I wouldn't have to hurt.

My core ached too. I shifted uncomfortably in bed and waited for breakfast. I didn't want to go breakfast. The guys that hated me were there. Then Reese would make me train.

I gritted my teeth and rolled over in pain again. I was probably driving Reese insane. It was hard to sleep like this. My stomach growled loudly and I pushed my sore fist into it.

“Please be quiet,” I begged and squeezed my eyes shut. “Please.”

After what felt like an eternity, the alarm rang. I forced myself to sit up and I breathed hard. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head before climbing down to meet up with Reese.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed, lacing up her boots tightly. I grabbed my new boots and laced them up. I almost forgot about that. Being a soldier was a strange experience. It was hard for me to catch on to the expectations.

“Good morning,” she greeted and sat up to pull her hair up into a ponytail.

“Good morning,” I greeted back and ran my fingers through my hair.

She stood up to stretch and pulled on the bottom of her shirt a little.

I blinked slowly, feeling exhausted.

“You didn't sleep,” I reminded myself. “At least not enough.”

“Today is going to be a little different,” she told me after she stretched.

“Do what?” I asked, snapping into reality.

“You won’t be training today,” she told me.

“Oh,” I said and nodded. “What are we doing then?”

“You will be watching all the soldiers get ranked,” she explained. “We’ll be fighting each other in order to see how good of a soldier and fighter we are.”

“I don't have to do that, do I?” I asked nervously, my fists ached thinking about it.

“No, you’re not a full soldier yet,” she told me.

“When do I become a full soldier?” I asked curiously.

“When Commander says you are,” she said simply.

“Oh,” I said and nodded.

Everyone started filing out of the room and I followed Reese to the cafeteria.

We sat down at the table and I started eating immediately so I wouldn't have to talk. I found myself wondering if there was any way to get rid of my accent. Then I could fit in a little better.

“Ready to get all of your asses beat?” Jax asked everyone around him with a smirk.

I ignored him. I didn't have to fight. Not yet at least. I picked at my bandages nervously.

“I’m ready, I’m going to get promoted and beat all of you,” he boasted.

I swallowed hard and pushed my food around. I wondered if I'd ever get good enough to beat him. It would be nice to knock him off of his pedestal.

“You just wait, I’m going to beat you,” the girl next to him said.

I looked up to examine her. She seemed a lot tougher than me, granted everyone probably was.

“Please,” he scoffed.

“You just wait,” she told him with a smirk.

“I might not even have to fight you. You’re probably too low of a level for me,” he teased.

“Sure, sure,” she said nodding and went back to eating.

He laughed nervously and continued eating as well.

I examined him carefully. He was a lot bigger than me. Definitely stronger.

“I bet you’ll get beat your first round,” Reese told him with a smirk. “Especially if you’re fighting me.”

“Yeah, I'm sure,” he told her with a grin.

I continued examining him, trying to figure out a way to overpower him.

“You know I could beat you. How many times have you beaten me?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “None, correct,” she answered before he got the chance to.

“Things may be different this time around,” he told her with a bigger grin.

“How so? You’re still a wimp,” she told him.

He laughed. “Not anymore.”

“Prove it,” she dared.

“I will,” he promised.

I watched his movements. They seemed too rushed. Almost like he moved, then thought about it. He wasn't very smart. All muscle I supposed.

She sneered at him and went back to eating her food. “We’ll see.”

“We will,” he replied.

I bet if I got a little tougher, I could take him down. Even if he could hit hard, I could outsmart him. Prove that I wasn't just a farm boy from Terra.

She chuckled and grinned at him. “We will,” she repeated.

He grinned and we made eye contact. He dropped his grin and glared. I widened my eyes and looked down. I cursed at myself. I wasn't supposed to be afraid. I wasn't supposed to look either. I felt confused and swallowed hard.

He scoffed at me. “Are you sure farm boy hasn’t made you weak?” he asked Reese.

I glared up at him. “You can stop calling me that,” I told him. “I'm not a farm boy anymore.”

“Oh you’re not?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

“No, Sir,” I replied and sat up a little straighter.

He leaned forward on the table to grin at me. “Prove it,” he dared.

I swallowed hard and clenched my aching fists. “I can’t just yet,” I replied, knowing that he wanted me to fight like the others were going to.

He scrunched his eyebrows together in mockery. “Well, why not?”

“The Commander hasn’t allowed me to prove myself just yet,” I replied.

“So you're not a soldier?” he asked.

“Not quite, but I’m closer to that than a farm boy,” I told him.

“If you're not a soldier or a farm boy then what are you?” he asked.

I hesitated. I had no idea. “I’m just me,” I told him with a shrug.

“Just you?” he asked with a nod.

“For now,” I replied.

“I see. So once you become a soldier then you won't be you?” he asked.

“I’ll be an Opes soldier,” I replied. “It’s a title. I currently don’t have one.”

He thought about it and nodded a little. “Farm boy suits you though,” he commented.

“That’s not who I am though,” I told him, shaking my head.

He shrugged. “Call it a nickname. Most of us have one,” he told me.

“Why do I need a nickname? I’ll just be Odin,” I told him.

“You don't want a nickname?” he asked.

“I mean, not that one,” I mumbled.

“Fair enough. Come up with one then,” he mentioned with a shrug.

Come up with a nickname? Why? “Okay,” I replied simply.

He laughed a little and nodded. “Okay,” he repeated and I heard Reese sigh with annoyance.

I looked over at her, then down at my lap. Good job, pissed her off.

Before anyone could say something else, a loud horn went off and everyone stood up at attention. Reese nudged me as she stood up. I stood up quickly and copied everyone else, trying not to twitch.

“You know how this works, captain separates you into levels and you fight each other,” I heard our commander tell everyone at the table.

I wanted to glance over. I wasn’t supposed to fight. I fought the urge and stayed perfectly still.

“Yes, Sir,” everyone answered simultaneously.

I bit my lip hard. Mistake.

Another horn went off and everyone went silent. Another deep voice filled the room but they were talking to the first table. Eventually they got to our table and examined all of us.

“Section C, Colby against Charles,” he started and named tons of C names. “Coyle against Caldwell,” he called and I noticed Reese shift slightly in front of me. “Thank you,” he said after he was done and went to the next table.

I wanted to ask her why she shifted. I wanted to ask where I was supposed to go. I had a million questions, but I stayed silent.

After he was done calling all the names from all the tables, he called parade rest, then fall out. Everyone switched stances before sitting down again. I copied them quickly and sat down, hoping I hadn’t drawn attention to myself.

“You're going down, Coyle!” I heard someone call from a couple seats away and pointed at Reese before he chuckled.

She scoffed and shook her head.

I looked over at her. “So I just watch?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah, it's an opportunity for you to watch how people fight,” she explained.

I nodded and looked around the room. Everyone was getting excited. “How often do we do this?”

“Once every two months,” she told me.

“In two months I’ll have to fight too?” I asked curiously.

“If you're ready by then, which you will,” she said nodding.

I nodded again. I could fight in two months. I just had to work at it. I sucked in a deep breath and rubbed my knuckles carefully.

“Don't worry, watch and learn and use it in your fighting skills,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

She nodded and offered me a smile. I smiled back. I needed to watch a few fights anyways. I had never actually seen one.

A horn went off and everyone started to clean up their trays and walk out of the room.

“Come on, I've got a fight to win and you've got a fight to watch,” she said standing up.

I nodded and followed after her. “Do I get to watch all the fights, or just yours?”

“All. Everyone has to watch them,” she explained.

“Then I’ll get to see a lot of styles, this should be fun,” I commented, but fun didn’t seem like the right word. “Rather, educational than fun,” I corrected myself quickly.

“It is fun,” she told me laughing a little.

“Fun for the ones that get to fight and actually stand a chance,” I replied.

“Your turn will come,” she promised and guided me through the huge group of soldiers heading to the training floor.

I followed her carefully and examined all of the soldiers. I hadn’t seen half of them. When they separated me from Reese, I’d be alone. I swallowed hard. I wanted to improve and show that I could just as good as anyone else here, but I didn’t want to be alone.

We finally got to the training floor and they had set up a raised piece of the floor with ropes around the perimeter. Everyone lined up around the ring and sat down.

“Colby and Charles!” our commander called and two guys jumped up to get into the ring.

“This is fun?” I asked Reese nervously as I watched the two lean into two very different stances and attack each other.

“Yeah,” she said nodding and watched them with wide eyes.

“Seems...interesting that you would attack one another,” I commented carefully.

“It's like a test,” she explained.

“A strength and strategy test?” I asked curiously and heard the crowd go crazy. One of the two guys was standing with his hands up in the air.

Reese sighed a little and clapped half heartedly.

“A strength and strategy test,” I told myself and watched the next two jump in.

The girl raised her hands and everyone cheered. She smiled big and got ready to fight.

I watched curiously. She was going up against a guy twice her size. That would be me. Skinny guy going against a huge guy. I watched her carefully. She was a lot quicker than the huge guy, although he packed a bigger punch. She ducked and nailed him in the throat hard. He grabbed his throat and swung at her. She darted out of the way and watched his movements carefully before nailing him the back of the head. He swung around and nailed her in the stomach. She doubled over, but darted around him again. She jumped up and kicked him in the back and while he was distracted, tackled him to the ground. After a moment, she stood up and slung her fists in the air.

Victory.

I went through everything while the next few fights went on. If I couldn’t get big, I’d have to be quick. I could be quick and smart. I watched all the fighting strategies carefully. Aim for throat, face, chest, or stomach if you want to do damage. Aim for the legs if you want to knock them down. I could remember that. Moving your feet was important too, especially if your hits didn’t hurt as bad.

I winced as I watched a guy nail a girl in the side of the head, but she didn’t go down. Pain. I bet I’d have to get used to ignoring that if I wanted to be a decent fighter.

It was Jax’s turn now, I sat up a little more so I could watch his fighting pattern. He was up against another big guy. They both punched and kicked at each other, slinging blood across the platform. Neither of them stopped. I widened my eyes. Jax would punch my head off of my shoulders, then laugh about it. There was no way I would fight him. Even if I memorized his fighting pattern, one hit from him and I’d be out. I watched anyways, maybe I’d learn how to punch correctly.

The fight went on longer than the others, neither of the two guy’s could seem to knock the other one down. Both of them were all muscle. I saw various moments when either one could end the fight. I guessed neither of them saw it.

It was finally over when Jax nailed the other guy in the head so hard, he just dropped to the ground. Jax slung his arms up in the air.

Victory.

“Coyle and Cadwell!” someone yelled. It was Reese’s turn. I looked over at her, I was curious to watch her fight. If the Commander risked everything to come and get her, she must be good.

She smirked at me and stood up to stride onto into the ring confidently. The guy that had called to her at breakfast jumped up. He was about twice her size. She didn't seem too worried. She leaned into the stance she had taught me and watched the guy closely.

The guy circled her and swung at her face. She quickly ducked and grabbed his wrist to twist it behind his back before he could even react. He yelped and twisted around to knee her twice in the stomach. She gritted her teeth but seemed almost unaffected. She kicked his knee in and elbowed the back of his head.

He cried out and grabbed at his knee, falling to the ground. She grinned and pushed her boot into his back to make him fall on his stomach.

I saw a guy off to the side nod at her.

She smiled big and threw her fists up in the air in victory. I smiled at her as everyone cheered. She walked out of the ring proudly and sat back down beside me.

“Nice fight,” I praised as the next two ran in.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Hopefully I can keep winning.”

I nodded. “I'm glad you're the one training me, I might actually have a shot at becoming a soldier.”

She smiled bigger. “I'm glad you think so,” she told me.

I smiled and turned to watch the rest of the fighting.

People ran in and out of the ring all day it seemed. It wasn't boring though. I payed attention like I should and took a bunch of mental notes. I wished I could get in a fight, but I knew I wouldn't stand much of a chance. No need to give them another reason to mess with me.

“Coyle against Connor!” the commander called and Reese groaned a little as Jax jumped into the ring.

She reluctantly stood up and strode back in.

I knew she would win easily. Jax was all muscle. She was smart enough to weave around him and take him down.

They got into their stances and started circling each other slowly. Reese slung her left fist towards his face but elbowed him in the side once he lifted his arms to block her punch.

I smiled big and shook my head at Jax. He needed to think a little more and stop throwing his entire force into one hit. It was always very obvious what move he was going to make. He was strong, but sloppy.

He threw his fist at her face but she grabbed his wrist and jumped up to kick his chest and practically did a backflip off of him. A crack came from Jax’s arm and he cried out in pain.

I winced, but grinned a little.

The guy in the corner cut her off with a quick wave of his hand. She nodded a little and threw her fists up again.

Everyone cheered for her and Jax held his arm with a glare. I smiled at her and caught glance of him glaring at me. I widened my eyes slightly. I didn't like that look. I shifted nervously and hung my head.

She walked back over and sighed a little with a smile. “I hate fighting him,” she commented.

“Do you?” I asked softly, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

“Yeah, he's so c***y but he sucks at fighting,” she explained.

“I noticed, his strength is put in all the wrong, obvious places,” I replied.

“Good observation, I'm glad you're paying attention,” she told me nodding.

I smiled a little and nodded back. “I've been watching everyone.”

“Good. Find anything you're particularly drawn to?” she asked curiously.

“Well, the smaller soldiers are light on their feet and quick, even though not all of them are as strong,” I mentioned. “I doubt I'll get very big, so, light and quick seems to be my option.”

“You'll need to do a lot of running and defense training. Lucky for you, that's what I'm best at so I can teach you easily,” she replied. “You'll still need to build up your strength. Staying defense won't make you win.”

“Yes, Ma’am, I noticed that as well,” I replied. “The purely defensive soldiers lost after a while.”

“It wears you out and only gives you a couple minutes of being in the ring,” she  explained.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied with a nod.

“I'll teach you how to run properly tomorrow if you want,” she offered.

“There's a way to run properly?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir. The correct way will get you far, faster and without you losing your breath,” she told me.

“Interesting,” I commented.

“It'll definitely take practice and a lot of water,” she told me.

I nodded. “We will start in the morning?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

I watched a few more sets of fights. “How long does this go on?” I asked curiously.

“Most of the time, it ends right after dinner time. But one time, we had to fight all night,” she explained. “That shouldn't happen this time, there should only be three more fights. I'll be fighting last.”

“And if you win?” I asked curiously.

“Then I get the highest ranking. Which goes towards my qualifications to be a commander,” she told me.

“Oh, awesome,” I told her, glancing over.

She nodded and smiled a little. “I won last time, so technically I'm the top soldier in section C,” she explained.

“Really? No wonder they put me with you,” I commented.

“But this ranking is only based on hand to hand combat. There are soldiers that are way better at things such as fighting with knives or other weapons than me,” she told me.

“Interesting,” I commented with a nod. “Lots of things I need to learn.”

“I'll teach you to use a sword, knives, gun, sniper rifle, and how to use all the mission gear,” she replied.

“I get to do all that?” I asked, feeling excited.

“Yeah, and then you'll get to choose which one you like best and you'll specialize in that certain area. That's what you'll be known for. Or you could be awesome at all of it,” she continued with a shrug.

“What then?” I asked curiously.

“Then you'll train to be a commander after you've proven yourself to be a good enough soldier,” she told me.

I nodded. “Is that what you're doing?”

“Yes, Sir. That's what we're supposed to do, train and strive to replace the current commanders and captain,” she explained.

“I want to be a commander,” I said out loud without realizing it.

“If you keep training, you'll become one in no more than five years,” she told me with a nod.

“Five years,” I said out loud and nodded.

“At least, that's the average time it takes for the commander training. You've still got to learn how to be a soldier so I'd say two years for that,” she thought aloud.

“Seven years,” I said with a shrug. “Not like I'm going anywhere.”

“You've been learning very quickly, so you might only need a year to train to be a soldier then four for commander training,” she continued. “So between five and seven years,” she told me.

I nodded. “I can do that.”

“Just don't kick me out of my spot,” she told me with a smile.

“Wait, would that happen?” I asked curiously.

“No, I was just messing with you,” she assured me. “You'll be transferred to section L by then so you'll become their commander and I'll become section C commander.”

“Right,” I mumbled, not wanting to think about that.

“You'd make a good commander. You just need to learn to be assertive,” she told me.

“Assertive,” I commented.

“You know how to be assertive, correct?” she asked.

I looked over and shrugged a little. “Be stern with people?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah,” she said nodding.

“I think so,” I replied.

“We'll practice it,” she assured me and turned back to the fight.

I nodded and turned back to the fight as well.

The guy fighting picked up the girl and threw her onto the floor hard, hitting her head. She crumpled to the floor and he roared a victory, hitting his chest with his fists.

“A little dramatic,” I commented.

“Great,” she commented back.

“It'll be easy,” I assured her, watching him pant hard.

“I know but a dramatic victory means a dramatic failure,” she replied.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

The commander called her up to the ring again and she stood up to go fight.

I smiled big as everyone surrounded me and cheered. They did this to every winner. They chanted and pounded their fists in the air. I felt a rush of energy surge through me and looked around at everyone.

They were all excited that I had won, a few even jumped around like idiots. I laughed at them and jumped a little as well. I noticed Odin sort of off to the side, looking at everyone like they were crazy.

I pushed through the group to get over to him. “Come on, we're going to go celebrate,” I told him as everyone starting running to the exit.

“Celebrate?” he asked curiously.

“It's fun, come on, we'll keep everyone waiting,” I told him quickly and ran through the group towards the roof of the building.

He chased after me as best as he could. By the time he caught up to me, he was out of breath.

I ran to the edge of the roof where everyone was waiting for me. “Sorry,” I told them and looked out over the desert. It was dark now and there were a million stars out. Perfect. I quickly started putting my harness on before they hooked me up to the zip line. “Have you ever done this?” I asked Odin.

He shook his head with wide eyes.

“It's really fun, if you don't want to, that's fine but it's tradition,” I told him.

“I thought only the winner could,” he mentioned. “Isn’t this for you?”

“It was but everyone wants to zip line,” I explained.

“So, I’m allowed to?” he asked, excitement lighting up his eyes.

“Yes, you can go after me,” I said nodding.

“O-okay,” he stammered excitedly.

“Okay,” I repeated before walking back a little to run off the edge of the roof. The line caught me and I zoomed through the air towards the building next to ours. The desert rushed by me and I took a deep breath. I let my hair fall out and fly behind me.

I cheered excitedly and spread my arms out wide before I got to the building. I laughed and ran to stop on the roof. I unhooked myself and smiled big.

“Come on, Odin!” I yelled loudly.

He looked around at the people fastening him into a harness then up onto the line. He seemed to hesitate a little too long at the edge. He looked down and someone pushed him. He screamed the entire way over and stumbled onto the other roof, breathing hard.

“S-someone pushed me,” he stammered, sounding terrified and excited all at once.

“They know if you look down, you won't go yourself,” I explained and unhooked him from the line so the next person could come.

“That was insane,” he breathed and looked up at me, laughing a little as he trembled.

“This is the only time we do it. Winner gets to go first,” I explained.

He laughed and nodded. I heard the next person scream and cheer as they took their turn.

I pulled Odin out of their way quickly and smiled at them.

“I guess I’ll have to wait to go again,” Odin commented. “Next time I won’t close my eyes and scream.”

I laughed at him. “Good idea.”

He laughed and walked to the edge of the building to look over. He looked out across the desert in awe.

I walked up beside him. “Bet you don't get a view like that in Sinta,” I commented.

“Not from my house,” he breathed.

I nodded and took another deep breath.

“I’ve only ever read about the desert,” he told me. “It’s a whole different thing when you actually see it in person.”

“I've always liked the desert,” I said nodding.

“I never thought it would be cool like this at night,” he said and turned to look at me. “I thought it was always hot.”

“Once the sun goes down, it can get really cold,” I explained shaking my head.

“Interesting, where do you get your water from?” he asked curiously.

“Underground,” I told him.

“How do you get it?” he asked me.

“There's an underground river running under the buildings. We can just use the elevator and get as much water as we need,” I replied.

“Really?” he asked curiously and nodded. “I swear, everything here seems to just baffle me.”

“Because you're not used to it. I'm sure everything in Terra would baffle me,” I mentioned.

He hesitated. “I couldn’t tell you much about Terra, otherwise I would.”

“Could you tell me about Sinta? Or at least the part you lived in?” I asked curiously.

“I...I didn’t live in Sinta,” he told me slowly. “I could barely even see it from my window.”

“Could you tell me about where you lived?” I asked quietly, like I shouldn't be asking.

He nodded and leaned against the edge of the roof. “It was very peaceful, but lots of work to sustain the lifestyle. I could go to the coast and swim any time I wanted, the coast was just so beautiful. The water was always cold,” he told me and smiled blissfully as he talked.

I nodded and tried to imagine it. Everyone started gathering up on this roof and cheering loudly. I sighed a little. “Let's go back inside,” I suggested.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied with a nod.

I led him back to our bunks and sat down on mine. I scooted over so he could sit and looked at him with curiosity, wanting to know more about his peaceful lifestyle.

He sat down beside me and examined the bandages on his hands.

I shifted a little. “What was it like to live peacefully?” I asked curiously.

He glanced up. “You don’t really know much about me, do you?”

I thought about it and shook my head. He didn't know much about me either. Oh well. “No, not really.”

“I didn’t live peacefully, the area I was in was peaceful,” he explained and looked back down.

“Oh, what was that like?” I pried.

He thought hard. “It was simple and calm,” he replied. “You could just stop and see the beauty of the world.”

I nodded and imagined it. It seemed nice but I wouldn't be able to function. I'd go crazy if everything could just stop like that.

“I never really had any technology,” he told me. “That’s what made everything so simple I believe.”

I nodded again, wondering if I could do that. Probably not. I wouldn't be able to do my missions as easily.

“Sorry, I’ll quit,” he told me softly and pulled his necklace out of his shirt to mess with.

“No, Sir, I was listening,” I promised.

He nodded. “I’m supposed to just answer questions,” he replied.

“Alright then, I'll ask questions. What was your favorite part about living in that house?” I asked curiously.

“The quiet,” he told me. “Everything in the capital and even here is so busy and loud.”

I nodded. “And what was your least favorite?”

He stayed quiet for a long time. “You’d mock me.”

“I'm your chief, chiefs don't mock their apprentices,” I told him.

“What about the others? I know they would,” he asked quietly.

“I won't tell them,” I said with a shrug.

“Do you promise?” he asked and looked up at me sheepishly.

I hesitated. Promise? I've never done that before. “Uh, yeah,” I said nodding.

He nodded and stayed quiet for a long time. “Starving,” he told me.

“Why did you starve?” I asked softly.

“I let my sister eat extra,” he replied.

I nodded even though I didn't understand. I decided to just stay quiet in case I said something and broke my promise.

He looked up at me. “Please don’t tell any of the soldiers I lived like that. It’s bad enough I have this accent and Jax calls me farm boy.”

“I promised I wouldn't. A promise is saying that I won't do something, right?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said softly.

“I won't break my first promise,” I assured him.

“You’ve never made a promise before?” he asked curiously.

“No, Sir,” I said shaking my head.

He nodded. “Well, thank you for keeping one with me.”

“You're welcome,” I replied returning the nod.

He played with his necklace for a while before tucking it back in his shirt.

I stared curiously at it through his shirt and thought hard about it, him and his father.

“I assume Commander Lukin is...” he started but didn’t finish.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding. “The current commander for section L is Commander Lesley.”

“What happened to him?” he asked softly.

“He was in a kamikaze plane in our first attack on Terra. That was before we had made our nuclear weapons,” I explained.

“He killed himself?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I told him.

He hung his head. “I wonder if he even knew I existed. I wonder if he even cared.”

I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. Did that matter? He died for his country. Should it matter if he knew or cared?

“Probably not. I bet he didn’t know,” he said softly and pulled out his necklace again to stare down at it.

I stared at him with confusion. “I apologize for my ignorance but does that sort of thing matter to Terrans?” I asked curiously.

He sighed a little. “Doesn’t matter anymore. I live here. No one is waiting for me to come home. It was just nice having someone to care for you when you really needed someone. I absolutely took advantage of what I had and now...now I have nothing. I work for the people that destroyed my life and that’s just how it is now.”

I swallowed hard, not sure what to say. I wasn't used to having to hear someone's feelings or thoughts. I didn't even acknowledge my feelings. “I'm sorry, Sir,” I told him softly.

“No you’re not,” he told me and tucked the necklace in his shirt. “You were told to do your job and you did it. Doesn’t matter what you destroyed, who was killed, who is left with nothing. Doesn’t matter, you got to come home.”

I stayed quiet. It was better than telling him that I felt no remorse for what I did. I lost the feeling of regret long ago. I didn't care who or what I destroyed, it didn't matter. Not to us.

“I’m going to lay down,” he told me and stood up. “I have training in the morning,” he said softly and pulled off his boots to set them against the wall. He climbed up into his bunk and shifted around.

I sighed a little. He probably wanted me to feel bad for what I did and for hurting his feelings. That's not how this works though. He needed to learn to stop his emotions from controlling his life.

I shook my head at him and took off my boots to lay down. Hopefully he'll be better by tomorrow. I really didn't want to deal with his feelings.

I laid in bed, feeling awful. I don’t know why I told her any of that. It was stupid. I didn’t live in Terra anymore. I lived in Opes. I was a soldier. That’s it. Odin Lukin, the Opes soldier. That’s it.

I pulled off my shirt and laid on my side. I closed my eyes and listened to everyone file in and lay down. It got really quiet and I tried to just relax.

I sighed and felt myself start to doze off. Before I could fall completely asleep, I felt a hand cover my mouth. My eyes shot up and I looked around in the dark desperately. A deep voice shushed me and dragged me out of bed.

The hand kept my mouth covered and led me down the hall. I stumbled clumsily, terrified of what was happening. I felt a whimper jump out my throat and the hand dug its nails into my cheek. The voice shushed me again.

Whoever had me, led me to the training floor. They let go of me and I ran away quickly, whipping around.

Jax glared at me. His arm was wrapped up tightly. “You,” he growled.

I swallowed hard, wide awake now.

“I don’t like you,” he told me.

“I sort of figured that,” I squeaked.

“I hate everything about you, your appearance, your accent, everything. You shouldn’t be here, Terran,” he hissed.

I trembled hard and looked at him in terror.

“Do you really think you’re going to be an Opes soldier?” he spat. “You’re nothing!”

My lip trembled and I bit it hard.

“I’ll make sure you never train as good as you need to, to gain your strength,” he told me harshly.

I clutched my hands. What did that mean? What was he going to do to me?

“Come here,” he ordered and gestured for me to come over.

I hesitated too long and he grabbed my wrist. I jumped, but he dragged my across the room regardless. He dragged me across the floor and over to the weight lifting section.

“Lay down,” he ordered harshly, gesturing at the bench. “If you don’t, I’ll gut you.”

I nodded quickly and laid down on the bench like I was ordered.

“Put your wrists together,” he ordered. I obeyed without hesitation. He whistled and I heard footsteps come around the corner. A guy I didn’t recognize walked over and grabbed my wrists tightly. I squeaked and he wrapped up my wrists tight enough so I couldn’t pull them out, but I could move them slightly.

“You owe me,” the other guy told Jax.

“I’ll pay you once I’m pleased with the results,” Jax replied.

My lip trembled. The guy walked off and I tried to sit up.

“No,” Jax growled.

I laid back down and bit my lip hard.

“What are you going to do?” I whimpered.

Jax scoffed and the other guy walked over, carrying a barbell. They were going to bash my brains out. Panic shot through me and I whimpered.

Before I could scream, he just set the barbell on my hands. It was uncomfortable. I shifted a little and Jax smirked.

“Fifty to each side,” Jax ordered.

“What?” I squeaked.

“Shut up,” he barked at me. 

I winced and closed my eyes. Suddenly I felt the other guy add the weight slowly. I opened my eyes quickly and felt my arms tremble under the weight. I looked up at Jax in confusion and terror.

He examined me and nodded. “Now, if you make a sound, I’ll come back tomorrow night and kill you in your sleep. If you tell anyone about this, they won’t believe you, and I’ll kill you in your sleep. If you throw the bar down before I take it off of you, well, I think you get the idea.”

I nodded. “Yes, Sir,” I whimpered.

He scoffed at me before walking off with the other guy, leaving me alone to struggle. I breathed hard, trying to stay calm. The bar seemed to get heavier and heavier. The way my wrists were angled made it hard to actually hold.

It was only a hundred pounds, but it was killing me. I struggled to hold it up for a long time before I started to feel really tired. I closed my eyes, trying to make the feeling go away. My arms threatened to give and I let out a whimper, opening my eyes quickly. I had to focus, otherwise the weight would crush me in my sleep.

The weight pushed down against my arms. I tensed up my biceps, trying to hold the bar up. My shoulders started aching and my upper back did too. My wrists threatened to give.

I breathed harder and harder as the hours dragged on. The bar inched closer and closer to my throat. I let out quick breaths, trying to catch my breath and push away the panic.

“Please, please hold it up,” I begged myself. “You can hold it. You can hold it.”

I stayed like that all night. I struggled to hold the bar up. My arms trembled violently. Sweat poured down my forehead and I felt sick to my stomach. I was exhausted. I couldn’t hold this anymore. I couldn’t stay like this anymore. Just when I thought I was going to give out, I felt the weight come off. I sighed in relief and my arms fell against my chest.

“Morning,” I heard Jax purr and the other guy untied my wrists.

I breathed fast and felt horrible. I looked over at him, wanting to ask why he was doing this.

“Go to bed,” he barked.

I sat up and struggled to get on my feet. My arms fell to my sides, feeling limp. I stumbled back to bed, listening to the two guys laugh.

I walked to my bed and crawled into it. I held my sore arms against my chest and continued to breathe hard. I started to doze off rather quickly, but then the alarm went off.

“No,” I whimpered and forced myself to sit up. Of course. He did greet me with ‘morning’.

I grabbed my shirt and gritted my teeth in pain as I pulled it over my head. I leaned back into my pillow and wiped away the sweat before climbing back down. I stumbled over to the wall and grabbed my boots slowly so I could lace them up.

“Are you okay?” Reese asked as she pulled on her shirt.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I breathed and struggled to lace up my boots. My fingers didn't want to work.

“You don't look okay,” she commented.

“I'm fine,” I promised and stood up straight.

She sighed a little. “Alright, let's go to breakfast then,” she told me.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and followed after her. I held my arms close for some reason. I wasn't too sure why, I just felt better that way.

“Good morning,” Jax greeted as we sat down at the table. He grinned at me a little.

I breathed harder and looked down at my lap. I felt horrible. The food in front of me made my stomach twist.

“You should eat your food, don't want you to starve again,” Jax commented with a bigger grin, glancing at Reese then back at me.

I looked up at her. She really told him that. So much for a promise. I looked away and glanced at my plate. I grabbed my fork and started pushing my food around half heartedly.

“Did you dream about that peaceful world last night?” he asked me mockingly.

“Jax,” Reese spat, sounding confused.

I hung my head even more. I set my fork down and just held my aching arms. They were getting stiff now.

“Oh, was I not supposed to say that?” he asked. “Sorry.”

I couldn't trust anyone apparently. I don't know why I thought I could. My ignorance had made everything so much worse. I swallowed hard and refused to look up.

Jax snickered and ate his food happily.

I waited until Reese finished eating to force myself to my feet and follow after her. I had a thousand things on my mind, but I stayed quiet. That's what I was supposed to do anyways.

“You can use the treadmill to run if you would like,” she told me as we headed into the training floor.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied quietly, not wanting to tell her that I felt like I was going to pass out.

“I'll show you how to use it,” she told me and led me over to a machine that I could stand on. It had a podium with a screen looking thing beside it.

I followed her carefully and blinked slowly. I almost couldn't hold my eyes open. How was I supposed to run like this? I couldn't tell her. She had made that pretty clear. It was probably a lesson of some sort. Soldiers aren't supposed to talk openly like that. I looked at the ground. I wish she would have just told me that instead of embarrassing me.

She started pressing buttons but looked up at me carefully. “Are you sure you're okay?” she asked. “If you're sick then you can't train.”

I just shrugged at her. “I'm supposed to train,” I said quietly, but I clutched my arms tighter.

“Not if you're sick, that will only make you sicker,” she told me and reached up to touch my forehead gently.

I looked at her and shrugged again. “I don't want to get behind,” I said softly.

“Odin, you won't get behind, sit,” she ordered and pointed at the treadmill.

I obeyed and closed my eyes for a moment. My body begged for sleep. I opened them quickly so I wouldn't pass out. I swayed slightly and caught myself with my arm. I gritted my teeth. Mistake.

“Nevermind, don't sit, you need to go lay down,” she told me.

“I just need a minute,” I told her softly and closed my eyes again.

“Odin,” she urged.

I swallowed hard. “Okay,” I said softly and opened my eyes again.

“Training is cancelled for now. Get some rest,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I said softly. Jax screwed me over, he knew this would happen. I stood up carefully, swaying slightly.

“Can you get back to your bed alright while I get you some water? Or do you need help?” she asked.

“I think I can walk there,” I told her and started heading in that direction.

I walked slowly and got back to my bunk. I crawled back up into bed after prying my boots off. I laid on my back and kept my arms on my chest. I was protecting them. That's what I was doing.

I laid on my side and everything ached from the lack of sleep. I breathed out shakily and closed my eyes. I wanted to pull my shirt off, I felt like I was burning up, but I didn't think I could move my arms. Or at least I didn't want to.

“Here, drink this,” Reese told me and held up a water bottle before sitting on the bed next to mine.

“Okay,” I breathed and grabbed the water. I drank a sip of it and felt like I was going to be sick.

She pulled out another bottled water and poured a little bit into her hand to trickle it onto my forehead carefully. It was really cold and it dripped down the sides of my head.

I closed my eyes and clutched the bottle in my hand.

“I must look as bad as I feel,” I commented softly and felt her trickle more water onto me.

“You look really bad,” she told me.

I hesitated. “I didn't sleep,” I settled on saying.

“Do you feel sick?” she asked.

I nodded. “I feel terrible, sick to my stomach and achy,” I replied, choosing my words carefully.

“Do you think you could sleep now?” she asked.

“I don't think so,” I told her softly, not wanting her to leave. Jax might come back for me.

“Alright, just rest then,” she told me.

I nodded and opened my eyes. I sat up slightly to drink a little more.

She stopped trickling water onto my forehead and just looked down at her bottled water.

I examined her carefully, but just laid on my side, blinking slowly. I set the water bottle close enough so I wouldn't have to sit up to get to it.

She thought for a moment and hesitated. “I'm sorry Jax said all those things at breakfast,” she said carefully.

I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, not wanting to remember it.

“Oh sorry, I was just trying to break the silence,” she said quickly and I heard her shift.

“It's fine, just taught me not to speak openly,” I replied softly. “No one cares about any of that, I don't know why I even told you.”

“You can still tell me, I understand it's a big change and I understand why you're mad. You'd just have to be careful about who all might be listening without you knowing,” she explained.

She must not have told him. “I'll just keep my dumb mouth shut.”

“Okay, you can do that,” she told me.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied obediently.

I heard her hop off the bed next to mine to sit down on her bed.

I hesitated. “Please don't leave,” I begged softly.

“Oh, sorry, Sir,” she said and climbed back onto the bed next to me.

“You don't have to talk to me, I just don't want to be alone,” I admitted quietly.

“I'll stay,” she assured me.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“You're welcome,” she replied.

I watched Odin lay down and rest all day. I wanted to say something so it wouldn't be so boring but I wasn't sure if he was awake or not. I just etched little shapes into the bottle of water with my knife to keep myself occupied.

The lunch alarm went off but I decided just to stay with Odin. I wasn't very hungry anyway and I doubted Odin would want anything.

He shifted around stiffly and clutched his arms tightly. I assumed he wasn't asleep, just laying there.

I glanced up at him to see if he was alright. He looked the same, exhausted and sick. I looked back down to continue etching little shapes into the bottle.

He stayed still for a long time before sitting up. I glanced up and saw him clutching his arms with a painful look on his face. He let out a shaky breath and squeezed his eyes tighter.

“What's wrong?” I asked.

He stayed quiet for a while. “My arms hurt,” he told me softly.

“Your whole arm or just a part of them?” I asked.

“My biceps, my shoulders, my upper back,” he listed.

I nodded and reached over to grab the pillow on the bed I was sitting on. I laid it down on top of his pillow then put them under his back. “Lay your upper back on those.”

He nodded and did what I had told. He laid his arms on either side of himself. They almost looked hyper extended.

I examined them carefully. “We'll take a break from your fighting skills for now,” I told him.

“What, why?” he asked, opening his eyes quickly.

“Your arms look hyperextended,” I explained. “Have you been training by yourself?”

He looked down at his arms. “Uh, yes, Ma’am.”

“Is that why you didn't sleep last night? Because you were training?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” he said and hung his head.

“Why?” I asked curiously.

He stayed quiet. “I just...wanted to get better,” he said with a shrug.

“You will,” I assured him. “Training excessively will hurt you really bad.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” he told me softly.

“Just stick with our training schedule for now,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied and rubbed his arms with a grimace.

“Here,” I said and put the cold water bottle against his arm. “Does this help at all?”

He nodded. “A little. It hurts so bad.”

“Just relax,” I told him.

He swallowed hard and nodded. “That's all I can do to fix this?”

“You can stretch them to loosen up the muscles,” I suggested.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied softly and stretched out his left arm slowly, gritting his teeth hard.

I wanted to tell him that he was a idiot for training extra. But I figured he didn't know that he'd over work himself. I stayed quiet and watched him.

He stretched out both his arms, keeping his teeth gritted. Once he finished he was shaking hard.

“I don't want this to happen again,” he told me softly and shook his head as he hung it. “I can't just lay here and do nothing.”

“Lesson learned?” I asked curiously. “Don't over work yourself?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he whimpered.

“Alright,” I said nodding.

He seemed to want to say something else, but didn't. He kept his back propped up and closed his eyes.

I wondered what he was going to say but decided not to pry. Last time I did that, he spilt all of his thoughts out. I looked down and started etching again.

After a while, I heard him snoring lightly. He had fallen asleep sitting upright. I looked up at him, debating on whether I should lay him down or not. I decided not to, I didn't want to wake him.

I sighed a little and continued etching. I should stay in case he wakes up and wonders where I am. He didn't want to be alone for some reason.

He slept all through lunch, then all through dinner. He stayed asleep even as people started filing into the room for night.

I jumped off the bed and climbed into my bed. He didn't call for me to come back, so I assumed he was just going to stay asleep for the remainder of the night.

I laid down on my bed and waited for everyone to quiet down and go to sleep before going to sleep myself.

The alarm woke up as usual and I sat up to run my fingers through my hair. I pulled it up into a ponytail and stood up to check on Odin.

“Odin?” I asked curiously.

He rolled over with a groan, facing away from me.

“Odin?” I asked again, a little sterner this time.

“Yes, Ma’am?” he asked, sounding exhausted.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Horrible,” he replied.

“Do you want to stay here and rest some more?” I asked.

“Please,” he begged.

“Do you want me to bring you something?” I asked curiously.

“Water,” he replied and flipped over to look at me. He was practically dripping in sweat and breathing hard.

“Alright, I'll be back in a bit,” I told him.

He nodded and laid on his back.

I hesitated but headed to the cafeteria. I sat down and immediately started eating so I could get back quickly.

“How’s Odin?” I heard Jax ask curiously.

“He's fine, just a little sick,” I replied.

“That's unfortunate,” he commented.

“Yeah, but he'll be back to normal soon,” I assured him.

“Good,” he said with a smirk.

I gave him a confused look but decided not to say anything in case it turned into something bigger than a question.

He got up and left, I assumed to go and train. I shook my head a little at him and continued eating.

After I finished, I stood up to get Odin his water and headed back to the bunks.

“Your water,” I told him and walked up to his bed.

“Thanks,” he breathed and took it from me. He sat up and looked more in pain than yesterday. He opened the bottle and trembled hard as he drank.

“You're welcome,” I replied and climbed up onto the bed next to his.

He couldn't seem to get the cap back on the bottle, so he just held it. His arms looked even worse than before.

“You should stretch your arms some more. They look tense,” I told him.

“They hurt,” he told me softly.

“They won't hurt if you stretch them enough. If you don't, then they'll hurt more,” I explained.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” he breathed and tried to stretch them out. He struggled with it and trembled even harder.

“Do you need some help?” I asked.

He nodded and let his arms fall to his sides. I nodded and climbed onto his bed to face him. I held out my hands to stretch out his arms.

He took my hands carefully and I could feel how bad he was really trembling. I put one thumb on the inside of his elbow and the other on the inside of his wrist.

“Make a fist slowly,” I ordered and put a little pressure into my thumbs.

He nodded and made a fist as slow as he could. He clenched his jaw hard.

“Sorry,” I told him and started massaging his muscles gently.

He swallowed hard and stayed quiet, but I could tell he was in pain.

“How bad does it hurt?” I asked.

“It's like the muscles won't untense, I can't make them relax,” he breathed.

I nodded. “That's normal. You probably pulled a lot of muscles,” I explained.

He nodded. “It hurts so bad,” he whimpered.

“I know,” I told him nodding again.

He swallowed hard and hung his head, letting me massage his muscles.

“Is this making it better or worse?” I asked.

“A little better,” he told me softly.

“Alright, just making sure,” I told him and ran my fingers along his arms. The image and feeling of that lady and those guys at Terra flashed through my head and I quickly pulled away without thinking.

“What's wrong?” he asked softly.

I hesitated but shook my head, not wanting to talk about it. “Nothing, sorry, Sir,” I said quickly and hesitated before massaging his muscles again.

“You know, you don't have to refer to me as Sir,” he told me after a while.

“Do you want me to stop calling you that?” I asked, glad he wasn't going to ask.

“I don't think I really deserve it yet,” he replied. “I'm a way lower rank than you.”

“Lower ranks need to be referred to as Ma'am and Sir as well,” I explained.

He nodded. “Okay, you can call me Sir if you'd like.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He stayed quiet and closed his eyes tightly.

“I mean, I don't have to if you don't want me to,” I told him.

“It's just unusual,” he explained.

“I understand,” I replied with a nod.

He stayed quiet for a while. “How did you just...let your emotions go away?”

“I was raised like that. I was taught to just let everything go. I didn't have much to let go, so it was sort of easy,” I explained.

He sighed. “Alright, thank you, Ma’am,” he replied and opened his eyes to watch me massage.

“I'm sorry I can't give you more help than that,” I told him with a shrug. “It was just how we had to be.”

“I don't understand why the Commander made me a soldier. I don't know how to function like that,” he said softly, sounding confused.

“Because your father was one of the best soldiers we've ever had. He thinks you can be better,” I explained.

“I'm not my father,” he said shaking his head. “I just have his necklace.”

“I think you can function like this. It's not that hard, is it?” I asked.

“I mean, everyone seems to flow with everything a lot easier. It's hard to just forget and move on,” he told me and started to say more, but stopped himself.

“Are you talking about your family?” I asked.

“Everything in general,” he replied quietly and looked around nervously.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked.

He thought about it. “Just teach me to be like you and the others.”

“I can try,” I said nodding.

“I'm serious, Ma'am. Every little thing I do wrong, correct me. Anything I do that you wouldn't, correct me. Anything and everything. I need to talk like everyone, think like them, walk like them, function like them. I need to be taught to be a soldier or else they'll skin me alive in here,” he told me sternly. “I'm begging you to teach me and make me like my father.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” he told me quietly.

“You're welcome,” I told him.

“Is this okay? Am I allowed to ask for help?” he asked me.

“Yeah, that's fine,” I assured him.

“Good, I was worried,” he told me quietly.

“I'll teach you,” I told him nodding.

“Thank you,” he replied, returning the nod.

“Thank you, what?” I asked.

“Ma’am, thank you, Ma’am,” he corrected himself quickly.

“You're welcome,” I replied.

I wondered how stupid Jax really was. He kept dragging me to the training room and pinning me down with weights. It was horrible at first, but after a week it stopped hurting. I could actually hold it up the entire time without struggling.

Jax walked up to me with the other guy.

“Morning,” he sneered.

“Morning,” I replied, glancing over at him.

“Have a good night sleep?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

“Good, good,” he said nodding and looked over to the other guy with a small nod.

The guy walked over to me.

“Oh, here you go,” I told him and offered him the weights without sitting up.

He scoffed a little and took it from me to set it to the side. I waited for him to untie my wrists before standing up. I stretched out my arms, feeling good for once.

“I'll remember to add more weight tonight,” Jax commented.

I nodded and examined my arms. They had gone from weak and constantly in pain to really built up. I actually liked it a lot. I couldn’t believe how different it made me look. I felt like I was starting to actually look like a soldier. I walked away, with my head held high, from the two and headed back to my bunk. Instead of crawling up into it like I usually did, I pulled on my shirt and laced up my boots. I waited at attention for Reese until the alarm went off a few seconds later.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” I greeted as she laced up her boots.

“Good morning,” she replied and sat up to run her fingers through her hair carefully.

I waited patiently for her to finish so we could go to breakfast.

She stood up and stretched with a tired groan.

“Are you tired, Ma’am?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, but I'll be fine,” she assured me and started to lead me towards the cafeteria.

I followed after her obediently and examined everything. I was starting to enjoy the place. It wasn’t as pretty and elegant as the capital, but I still liked it.

We sat at our usual spots and I noticed Jax look at me before rolling his eyes a little. I smiled a little. Idiot. He may have tortured me for a while, but it payed off.

“Reese,” I heard the commander say from behind us.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied after standing at attention.

“You have progressed very well in your commander training, I would like you to be my shadow when you are not training Mr. Lukin,” he told her.

“Yes, Sir,” she repeated and I heard Jax let out a groan of annoyance.

I grinned at him and Reese sat down. “Good job, Ma’am,” I praised her with a smile.

“Thank you, Sir,” she said with a huge smile. Jax grumbled something under his breath but she didn't seem to notice.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it,” I told her.

“Yes, Sir, I will,” she promised nodding.

I smiled bigger and turned to my plate to start eating. I tried not to think about moving sectors and her becoming a Commander. I’d really never see her then.

“Would you like to start sparring today?” she asked curiously after a while.

I glanced over at her. “Do you think I’d stand a chance?”

“Yes, Sir, we'd start off with the basics,” she explained. “I’d only be teaching you what you've been watching.”

I nodded. “That sounds wonderful, Ma’am.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said returning the nod and smiled as she continued eating.

We finished eating and she led me to the training floor. I felt nervous, I hadn’t actually fought anyone before.

She pulled off her over shirt so she was only wearing her tank top and tossed it to the side. “It's just like a dummy, except I move. But I'll go slow,” she told me.

I pulled off my shirt as well. “I think I can do that,” I told her and nodded.

She leaned into her fighting stance. “You know that sequence you've been performing on that dummy?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied, leaning into my stance.

“Do that to me, but don't actually hit me. Find the equivalent of the dummy on me,” she ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am. Like this?” I asked and started my sequence. I didn’t hit her, just did the motions.

“Yes, Sir, now keep doing that until I tell you,” she told me with a nod.

I did as I was ordered and kept it up, making sure not to actually hit her.

“Alright, have you found the equivalencies?” she asked after a couple rounds of the sequence.

“I believe so, Ma’am,” I replied.

“Alright, do you know what a counteract is? At least what it is in terms of fighting?” she asked.

I thought about it and shook my head. “No, Ma’am.”

“Basically, I'm going to block you,” she explained. “I want you to find another way to hit me.”

“But not really hit you, right?” I asked curiously.

“Not yet,” she said shaking her head.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied obediently. I hesitated and thought about what I would do. Not the same thing I had been doing, she’d expect that. I pretended to punch her in the stomach, but I felt uneasy about it.

She easily blocked my punch. “Now find another way,” she ordered.

I thought too long about it before punching at her throat. I had seen that before.

“Very good, try to be quicker. Think and act quick,” she told me. “Again.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and punched at her stomach again.

She blocked it again and looked up at me for my move. I started to punch at her throat again, when she moved to block it I hit at her stomach again.

“Good, good,” she praised. “Add some variety to your hits. You're getting predictable. That can hurt you really bad in a fight.”

I nodded and pulled away. I waited for a moment before attempting to hit her in the nose with my elbow. She lifted her arm to block and stayed like that to see what my move was. I reared back slightly to hit her in the side of the head.

“Alright, little trick. If you aim for the top half the first time and get blocked, don't aim for the top half again. Vise versa. Your opponent can block you again too easy. Go for opposite halves,” she told me.

“That makes sense,” I commented and stepped back again. I hit at her throat and when she blocked, I kneed at the left side of her stomach.

“Again, quicker,” she ordered.

This time I kneed at the right side of her stomach before hitting at the left side of her head. She blocked it and nodded with approval.

“Is it just random moves?” I asked curiously. I felt like everything I was doing was just off the top of my head and sloppy.

“For now, yes. Once I start fighting back and you actually start hitting me, it'll get more complicated,” she explained.

“I have to hit you?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

“Wouldn't that hurt?” I asked curiously.

“If it hurts, then you're doing good. Great, even,” she told me.

“Wait, I don’t want to hurt you,” I told her.

“Why not? Don't you want to get better? It won't hurt that bad unless you get really good. I have a very high pain tolerance,” she assured me.

I hesitated. “I’m not supposed to feel bad about that, am I?”

“No, Sir, that will keep you out of combat. Then you won't become a commander,” she explained. “That sympathy and pacifist-ness will hurt you.”

I nodded instead of saying anything. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“You won't have to actually hit me until you're ready though,” she told me.

“Will you tell me when I’m ready?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, and if you feel you're ready before I tell you, then that will work as well,” she said nodding.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Okay, again,” she ordered and got back into her stance.

I got back into my stance and hit at the side of her head before kneeing her in the center of her stomach. I didn’t want to hit her. Even if I wouldn’t do any damage. I’d wait until she told me to before I would.

“Again,” she ordered with a nod of approval.

I pretended to punch low before hitting at the underside of her chin.

We went on like that all during training before the lunch alarm went off.

“Would it be alright I trained with commander after dinner?” she asked curiously once we sat down.

“Of course, Ma’am,” I assured her and started eating. I figured I could use that time to work on my upper body strength. If I stayed ahead of Jax, nights wouldn’t be so bad.

“If it's alright, I'd like to train with him after dinner every day. You and I can work harder after breakfast and lunch so you won't get behind,” she continued.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied with a nod, feeling better. When I felt that I was ready at night, I could catch up on sleep. This wouldn’t be too bad.

I noticed Jax grin a little at Reese before looking down to continue eating. She seemed too excited to notice though. I hesitated. What was he planning now?

We finished eating and I worried about what he was planning. I should warn her. I wouldn’t tell her about what he was doing to me, I didn’t want him to kill me. I was fine now anyways, the hard part was over.

“Ma’am?” I asked carefully.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied curiously and looked up at me.

“Be careful,” I told her slowly.

She hesitated and gave me a confused look. “About what?” she asked slowly.

“Not me,” I explained quickly.

“Then what?” she asked.

“Jax,” I said after glancing around for him.

“What about him?” she asked.

“He seems...he makes me paranoid. I don’t like the looks he gives you,” I explained softly. “I know you can take care of it, I just wanted to warn you.”

“I appreciate that, I'll keep an eye out. I can take care of it,” she assured me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and tried not to think about what he did to me.

She led me back to the training floor to continue where we left off before lunch. I wasn’t really distracted, but my mind wouldn’t let me stop thinking about Jax. I wanted to put him in his place for harassing me and trying to ruin my training.

I hit at her stomach, then actually hit her in the side of the head hard. I jumped back with wide eyes.

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry,” I told her quickly.

She looked a little shocked but laughed a little. “It's fine, it's fine,” she assured me.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” I told her and looked down at the floor.

“Well, do you think you're ready to actually hit someone?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, Ma’am.”

“How about we try it and if you don't think you're ready then we'll stop?” she offered.

I looked back up. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Alright, don't hit too hard because I won't be hitting back,” she told me and leaned into her stance.

I nodded and leaned into my stance. I tried to hit the side of her head again, but she blocked. I kneed her in the center of the stomach carefully.

She nodded in approval. “Just like that,” she praised.

I smiled nervously. It was interesting, it didn’t seem right to hit her, but that’s what she ordered.

We went a couple of rounds doing that before she nodded.

“Do you want me to start hitting you now? I'll be hitting with the same force as you,” she asked curiously.

I nodded. “I have to get used to pain, don’t I?”

“Yes, Sir, but that's a gradual thing,” she told me.

I nodded. “Alright.”

“Alright,” she repeated and leaned in to wait for me.

I felt nervous. She was going to hit me. I braced myself and hit at her jaw. She blocked it and punched me in the stomach without hesitation. I shifted uncomfortably.

“Here, how about you work on your blocking skills? Do what I was doing when you were hitting me,” she ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and held up my arms.

She reared back slightly to hit at my nose. I blocked her quickly and winced, not anticipating the pain it would bring. While I was blocking her, she kneed me in my ribs. I winced and backed away from her.

“I suck at this,” I mumbled and rubbed my ribs.

“Sorry, I jumped into that too quick. How about we take the same steps as we did when I was blocking? I'll pretend to hit you until you're ready,” she offered.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and forced myself to walk back over to her.

She leaned into her stance and waited for me to do the same. I leaned into my stance and held up my arms. She would hit lower then higher, or higher then lower. She waited a moment before she started to elbow my jaw. I blocked her, then dropped my arms to block a lower hit. I blocked her knee just as she was about to hit my ribs again.

“Very good,” she praised. “That's why predictability will hurt you in a fight.”

I nodded and smiled a little, feeling better about everything. She reared back to hit towards the side of my head. I blocked it by ducking, then jumped back slightly to avoid getting hit somewhere low. She ended up hitting at my throat and smiled a little.

“Don't rely on little tricks with your opponents. They don't always follow them,” she told me.

“Too predictable,” I reminded myself.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and started to knee me in the side. I side stepped out of the way and blocked my head before she hit that. She nodded again and waited for me to get back into my stance before hitting at my throat. I blocked and ducked so she wouldn’t hit me in the side of the head.

“Hit me this time,” I told her, determined to figure this out.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and reared back to hit the side of my head.

I ducked and kneed her in the ribs without thinking. She barely even flinched before elbowing under my chin. I bit my tongue and tasted blood. I tried to ignore it and slung my fist at the side of her head. She blocked it with her forearm and started to knee my side. I stepped out of the way and started to elbow her nose. She lost balance from not hitting me and basically slammed her nose into my elbow herself.

I grabbed at her. “Are you okay?” I asked quickly and examined her nose.

“Yeah,” she said nodding quickly. “Good hit,” she praised and smiled with a wince.

I felt like I should be proud of it, but I didn’t really like hitting her. I examined her quickly. “Thank you, Ma’am,” I said softly.

“You're welcome,” she replied.

“Are you okay?” I asked again, stepping away slightly.

“Yes, Sir, you didn't break it,” she assured me and wiped her nose carefully.

“I won’t hit you there again,” I promised.

“It's fine, you can hit my nose,” she told me.

“Are you sure?” I asked carefully.

“Yes, we're sparring, it's okay,” she assured me.

“Okay,” I said then shook my head. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

She wiped her nose again then wiped her hand on her jeans. “Shall we continue?” she asked curiously.

I nodded and leaned into my stance. She leaned into hers as well and started to hit my chin. I blocked her and punched her in the stomach. She gritted her teeth slightly and hit my jaw. I tasted more blood and shook my head hard, making sure to block it. I started to knee her in the ribs, when she blocked, I aimed for her throat.

She blocked that as well and went for the side of my head with her elbow. I ducked and started to knee her in the ribs. While I was ducked, she kneed me in the nose. I jumped back and grabbed it.

“That hurts, that really hurts,” I told her quickly and realized that’s what I had done to her.

“Sorry, Sir,” she told me.

“No, no, I have to get used to it,” I told her quickly and forced myself back into my stance.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and got back into her stance as well.

I breathed hard and hit at her throat. She blocked it and aimed for my chin. I blocked and punched at her stomach.

We went on training like that until dinner. After we ate, Reese went off to train with the commander.

I decided I wasn’t tired enough and went to the training floor by myself. I laid down and started lifting weights like I was supposed to. My hands spaced out nicely. It was a lot easier to do it like this than having my hands forced so close together.

After I wore myself out, I went and laid down in my bunk. Trying to doze off before Jax came to drag me out of bed.

Before he got there, Reese came back with a smile on her face as she got ready for bed.

“You seem happy, Ma’am,” I commented sleepily.

“I am happy, good observation,” she told me and pulled her hair out of its ponytail.

“May I ask why?” I asked curiously.

“I got to learn most of the responsibilities of being commander and it's everything I've always wanted to do,” she explained.

I flipped over to lay on my back. “I’m glad, Ma’am, I suppose you’re getting pretty close to taking up that position.”

“I hope so, Sir. I won't be commander while I'm training you though. That'd be unfair to you,” she explained.

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Sleep well,” I told her, determined to get a little bit of sleep in.

“Oh, you too,” she replied carefully and hesitated before climbing into bed.

I wanted to make a comment, but I stopped myself. Everyone filed into right as I dozed off. The noise didn’t even bother me anymore.

After it went quiet, I felt Jax grab my arm, pulling me right out of my sleep. I stumbled down the hallway half asleep still. I didn’t say anything, just tried to wake myself up.

Instead of taking me to the weight lifting bench, he took me to the treadmill. He tied my hands to the poles and started pressing buttons to turn it on, forcing me to run. I struggled to run, still trying to wake myself up. I didn’t know what would happen if I messed up and tripped.

He chuckled a little and watched me for a bit before walking off. I breathed hard, not used to running this quick. He was going to do the same thing to my legs. I cussed under my breath and tried to keep up.

He finally came back after what seemed like forever. “Good morning,” he greeted like usual.

I couldn’t really respond, I was so out of breath. I couldn’t run like Reese had showed me. I felt horrible all over again.

He grinned and pressed a button to make the machine stop. I collapsed onto my knees, my arms still tied up. I wheezed and stared at the ground. He walked over to untie my wrists and chuckled before walking off again.

I tried to stand up, but my legs had given out on me. I ended up just falling onto the floor hard. I gritted my teeth as my legs throbbed. Why was he doing this to me? What did I ever do? I swallowed hard and closed my eyes tightly.

A couple minutes later, the breakfast alarm went off. I cussed under my breath again. Reese would be waking up and I wasn’t dressed. I forced myself up, despite my legs feeling like water. I stumbled down the hallway and to my bunk.

“Odin? Where were you?” Reese asked curiously without looking up from her boots.

“Just went on a run,” I told her sleepily and reached up to my bunk to pull my shirt over my head. I slid my boots on and leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath.

She looked up at me. “How long of a run?” she asked raising an eyebrow.

“Too long,” I breathed and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. My legs throbbed and I leaned my head against the wall.

“Obviously,” she said nodding and sighed a little.

“I’m sorry,” I whimpered and squeezed my eyes tightly, trying to ignore the pain.

“It's fine, are you going to breakfast?” she asked curiously.

“No,” I told her shaking my head. “I can’t walk well.”

“Get yourself some water,” she told me and stood up.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I breathed.

“I'll be back,” she promised before following everyone else to the cafeteria.

I tried to stand up, but it wasn’t happening. I leaned my head against the edge of Reese’s bed trying to fall asleep. I swallowed hard and whimpered in pain. I wished I could make this stop. He would do this to me again tonight and Reese would just think I was an idiot for overworking myself. Why? Why did he have to do this to me?

I listened to Odin shift around in his bed. He was still going for runs every night. I told him many times to stop. What was his problem? I made sure not to go to sleep so I could see what was up.

Once everything settled down, he didn't really move around as much. Not too much longer after he stopped moving I heard footsteps and watched someone tear him out of bed.

“Wait, please, not tonight,” I heard Odin whimper softly.

“Shut up,” Jax hissed.

“Please,” he begged and Jax just dragged him out of the room.

I rolled out of bed quickly to follow after them quietly.

“I can't keep doing this,” Odin whimpered and tried to pull against Jax.

“Better get started,” Jax purred and I watched him tie Odin’s wrists to the treadmill and started it up.

“I just need a break, just tonight,” Odin begged as he started running, gritting his teeth in pain. “Please, Jax, please, I can't do this again tonight. I need a break.”

Before Jax could respond, I stormed out without thinking. “What do you think you're doing?” I spat.

Jax looked at me, then glared at Odin. “You ran your mouth.”

“No, no, I swear I didn't,” he said quickly, shaking his head.

“He didn’t, I’m just that smart,” I told him.

“See,” Odin pointed out.

“I still haven’t gotten an answer for my question. What do you think you’re doing?” I asked again.

“Just helping the kid out,” he replied with a shrug and grinned.

“That’s not your job,” I told him and walked over to stop the treadmill.

Odin collapsed onto his knees, breathing hard.

“I didn't think you were doing a good enough job,” Jax replied.

“That’s not your job,” I repeated and untied Odin.

He grinned big at Odin. “I suppose you do get a break.”

He trembled and practically fell on the floor.

“He’ll get a permanent break from you after Commander finds out,” I replied.

Jax glared at me. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” I said nodding and wrapped one of Odin’s arms around my shoulders to lift him up.

Jax scoffed and walked off.

“I'm sorry, Ma’am,” Odin breathed and leaned against me heavily.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked and carried him back to our bunks.

“He told me that he'd kill me,” he explained softly.

I sighed. “It’s okay, I’ll tell Commander when I train with him tonight,” I assured him.

He nodded and leaned against me more. I carried him to his bed and helped him up.

“Get some rest, he won’t kill you,” I promised.

“Promise?” he asked softly.

“Promise,” I said nodding. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”

“I shouldn't have lied to you, Ma’am,” he said softly.

“It’s okay, you’re okay now. Just get some rest,” I told him.

He nodded and buried his face into his pillow, looking relieved.

I sighed and leaned against the wall to make sure Jax doesn’t come back. I stood there all night until the breakfast alarm went off.

“Odin?” I asked looking over at him.

He sat up and looked over. “Yes, Ma’am?”

“Are you going to breakfast?” I asked.

He hesitated. “Jax will be there.”

“I'll stay with you if you'd like,” I offered.

“Aren't you hungry?” he asked softly.

“No, Sir,” I replied shaking my head.

“Okay,” he said and nodded. He stretched himself out, groaning a little in pain.

“Do you want me to go get you something to eat?” I asked.

“No, Ma’am. My stomach hurts,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said with a nod and continued to stand guard.

“You can relax, Ma’am,” he told me softly. “I'll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied softly and crawled out of bed. He trembled badly, but stretched out his legs.

“You should rest,” I told him.

“It's not bad, Ma’am. I got used to it, I just knew he was going to make the speed quicker again last night,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He finished stretching and sighed shakily. “I suppose that's not the best way to gain muscle,” he commented and messed with his necklace through his shirt.

“No, Sir,” I replied and shook my head.

He nodded. “I should have told you,” he breathed and looked down. “I just let him push me around like that.”

“You must learn how to stand up for yourself. The more strength you get, the more confidence you'll gain so it'll be easier,” I explained.

He nodded again. “Yes, Ma’am,” he breathed.

“But I understand why you didn't tell me,” I told him.

“I was scared,” he replied softly. “I'm not supposed to be scared.”

“You'll get it,” I assured him.

“I really shouldn't be here, should I?” he asked me, looking up.

“You should. You've only been here for like a month. Nobody can learn all of this in a month. You've been doing great, much better than most,” I told him.

He nodded. “Thank you, Ma’am. I just wish I could know everything and be done with all of the...I want to be a soldier now,” he explained.

“You will,” I promised.

“When?” he asked curiously.

“Based on your growth so far and everything you have left to learn, I'd say a couple more months,” I replied.

“Months,” he breathed and put his face into his hands.

“It took us years,” I told him. “I've been training for as long as I can remember.”

He glanced up. “Why?”

“So I could learn everything in depth,” I explained.

“Have you always wanted to be a commander?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He laughed a little and shook his head. “I thought I'd be cutting logs my entire life.”

I laughed a little. “Ever since I was little, I was taught to become a commander. Then become a captain,” I explained with a shrug.

“I went to school, I really wanted to work in the city. Some sort of research would have been awesome, I love to learn,” he told me. “Then I was suddenly done with school and stuck at my house.”

“Why?” I asked.

“My mother couldn't do all the labor, going off to college would consist of leaving and being gone for long periods of time. They would have perished,” he explained.

“College?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am. It's school, just specialized schooling. It teaches you to do your job properly,” he replied.

“Oh, alright,” I said nodding in understanding.

“I really wanted to do that, but if I had, you would have killed me in the bombing,” he pointed out.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

“Then, I wouldn't be standing here, training to be a soldier. It's still very surreal to me,” he continued.

“I'm sorry, Sir,” I told him.

“Don't pity me,” he told me. “I was just rambling, I shouldn't even be talking about this.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“I thought you were keeping me in check?” he asked, laughing a little.

“Sorry,” I told him quickly.

“It's fine, I just need a guide. I think too much to be a soldier on my own. I'm too...” he started and thought hard about what to call himself.

“Of course, Sir, I'll guide you,” I promised.

He stood there thinking hard. “I don't know what I am,” he said slowly after a while.

“You're Odin,” I told him.

He nodded. “That's true,” he replied.

“Soon, you'll be Odin the soldier of the military of Opes. Then you'll be Odin the commander of section L in the military of Opes,” I continued.

He laughed a little and shook his head. “That's what I'm trying for.”

“Don't just try,” I told him. “Do,” I added and smiled.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Your father used to say that a lot. I'd hear him tell section L that before every mission,” I explained.

He nodded. “I suppose you don't know much about him.”

“No, Sir, I just know that he was a great commander and soldier. One of the best,” I told him.

“I wished I knew a little more,” he commented.

I hesitated. “I don't know my father either,” I told him carefully.

“It doesn't bother you though, does it?” he asked.

“No, Sir, to me, I never had parents so I don't see a reason to miss something I never had,” I explained.

“I wish he would have just brought me to Opes, then I wouldn't have to deal with all this confusion,” he told me.

“Opes soldiers aren't allowed to have children. If he brought you here, he wouldn't have been able to be your father. You probably would've been killed,” I explained.

“Wait, I can't have kids?” he asked, seeming confused.

“No, Sir, having emotional attachments to things aren't allowed. We aren't supposed to fall in love or have relations either. It distracts us from our missions and training,” I told him.

“So, I just get no one?” he asked, seeming upset.

“We have each other, we're like family,” I replied.

“I'm not family, I'm like the weird adopted sibling that no one likes,” he told me.

“No one?” I asked raising an eyebrow and scoffed. “Thank you, Sir.”

“You like me?” he asked curiously. “I thought I was just the kid you were ordered to train.”

“You are the kid that I was ordered to train. Does that mean I can’t like you?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I just never thought you liked me, I feel more like a burden.”

“You’d know if I didn’t like you,” I commented.

He laughed a little. “You probably wouldn't have saved me from Jax.”

“No, Sir, I probably wouldn’t have,” I replied shaking my head.

“Well, I'm glad you did. It was horrible,” he told me and offered me a smile.

“Of course, Sir,” I said returning the smile.

He stayed quiet for a moment and looked around. “When they move me to my correct section, we won't see each other, will we?”

“No, Sir, not as much,” I replied.

“Then I'll be alone,” he said softly and looked down at the ground.

“When you transfer, you’ll be a soldier, you’ll be able to connect with the other soldiers. You’ll be training with them and going on missions with them,” I told him. “You’ll need to interact and get to know them.”

“It won't be the same though,” he told me softly.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He started to say something, but just shrugged.

“What is it, Sir?” I pried.

“You're my friend, I don't want to leave,” he told me quietly. “I'd have to restart, again.”

I hesitated. His friend? Could I be a friend? “I’m sorry, Sir,” I told him carefully.

“It's fine, I don't know why I thought I'd have a choice in the matter. I don't get to decide my life anymore,” he mumbled and pulled his necklace out to mess with it.

I hesitated again. “I’m your friend?” I asked curiously and smiled nervously.

“Of course, I mean, you're my teacher as well, but I consider you a friend,” he replied, returning the smile.

I rubbed the back of my neck carefully. “I’ve never...been a friend,” I admitted.

“That doesn't surprise me,” he replied. “There's nothing special about it, nothing extra you have to do. You're just nice to me and take care of me.”

“Alright, I can do that,” I said nodding.

“And I'll do the same,” he replied with a smile.

“You have to do it too?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am. It's a two way thing,” he explained.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and smiled. I had a friend. Was that even allowed? Either way, I had one and I was one.

He smiled. “May I sit on your bed? Or should I climb up to sit on my own?”

“You can sit on mine, you should put as little strain on your legs as possible,” I told him.

He nodded and sat down. He sighed and looked around the room.

“As a soldier, I can't have personally belongings, correct?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He sighed. “That's a shame.”

“How so?” I asked.

He smiled a little. “When we were on the roof there were so many stars, I had never seen that many before. I was going to map it out.”

“I’m sorry, Sir, I’m not sure if you would be able to,” I told him.

He shook his head. “Sucks,” he commented. “It would keep my mind busy.”

“I’m sorry, Sir,” I told him again.

“It’s alright, I’ll get over it. It’s hard to just do mindless things all the time,” he explained. “Makes me ramble and make mistakes.”

I nodded. “Are friends supposed to listen to you ramble?”

“You don’t have to, Ma’am,” he promised. “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“I was just wondering because as your chief, I’m supposed to stop you from rambling. But as your friend, am I supposed to listen?” I asked.

“I’ll lose my friend soon enough, so I probably need to be told to shut up,” he mentioned.

I swallowed hard. I just got a friend but I’d have to lose him soon? “Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, you told me that I wasn’t allowed to have any emotional connection and I did it anyways,” he told me and looked down to fumble with his necklace.

Are we attached emotionally? “It’s okay, Sir, we can still be friends. We don’t have to be connected emotionally,” I told him.

“That’s sort of the problem, as friends you care about one another, that’s emotion,” he explained.

“Oh, okay,” I said nodding.

“Another mistake,” he mumbled.

“It’s okay, Sir, we can just be a chief and soldier,” I told him.

“Yeah,” he said softly.

I swallowed again. Now I was back to having no friends. I wanted a friend though. I quickly pushed that thought away. I wasn’t allowed to have a friend. I was a soldier and soldiers don’t have friends. “Yes, what?” I asked.

He hung his head. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

He stayed quiet and just looked at the floor, messing with his necklace.

“Are you okay, Sir?” I asked.

“I guess, Ma’am,” he replied quietly.

“Alright, Sir,” I said and scratched the back of my neck.

He continued to stare at the floor in silence. I swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say. Something was wrong. Was it because we couldn’t be friends? I bit my lip and looked down at the floor.

We stayed there awkwardly all through lunch and dinner. I needed to go train with Commander.

“I have to go now,” I told him. “Will you be okay until I get back?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied obediently.

“I’ll be back in no more than an hour,” I promised.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he repeated.

I nodded and hesitated before walking off towards Commander’s office on the bottom floor.

I noticed a lot more soldiers gathered by the elevator than normal. I hesitated but pushed past them to get into the elevator. The majority of them piled into the elevator with me, I noticed Jax in the crowd right as the doors shut. I sighed a little and leaned against the wall of the elevator.

Before I realized what was happening, someone hit a button and the elevator stopped. The two bigger guys stepped over and grabbed my biceps and lifted me off the ground. They pinned me against the wall hard.

“Hey!” I spat and kicked at them quickly.

Another guy dropped to the floor to pin my legs against the wall. Jax strolled over and smirked.

“You shouldn't have ruined my fun,” he told me.

“Let me go, Jax,” I ordered and pushed against the guys. They chuckled at my attempt.

“No, Ma'am, you ruined my fun. I don't believe that's fair,” he told me.

“It is fair, you had your fun and now it's over,” I told him and tried to reach for my knives in my pocket.

“See, I wasn't done. I didn't get a chance to run that Terran into the ground,” he told me with a bigger smirk.

“And you won't get to, I'll make sure of that,” I told him.

“Can he not stand up for himself? I guess you're not a very good teacher,” he commented.

“He's having trouble with it so I'm going to help him until he does. That includes making sure that you don't go near him again,” I explained and jerked my arms. The guys pinned my limbs down harder.

“That's pretty pathetic,” he commented and the other guys chuckled. “How are you supposed to make such a wimp into a soldier? If Commander doesn't like his progress, he'll reassign the farm boy to someone else. Someone a little tougher. Probably me. Can't protect your little boy if he's under my wing.”

“Commander wouldn't do that. Especially when I tell him what you did,” I told him.

“See, that's another thing. You won't be telling him,” he replied. “You're going to be an obedient little girl and stay quiet while I have my fun.”

“No, Sir, I'm not obedient to you. I'm telling Commander,” I replied and jerked my arms again.

“You will be obedient,” he told me and punched me in the gut hard.

I winced but glared at him. “I will never obey you. You're pathetic,” I told him.

“So are you,” he said with a shrug. “You're losing it, Coyle.”

“You're the one that needs your friends to hold me down. Can't take me yourself? That's pathetic,” I explained.

He shrugged and examined his arm. “Still a little weak, I figured I'd need some support,” he replied and hit me in the same spot harder.

I winced again. “You'll always be weak,” I told him.

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug. “But you're following right after me.”

“No, Sir,” I said shaking my head.

“But you are, I've heard the sweet little chats you have with farm boy,” he told me with a smirk.

I gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?” I asked.

“He keeps telling you all about himself and all that good stuff, it's sweet,” he continued.

“And? We're just talking,” I said with a shrug.

“That's what you think,” he replied.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He's just messing with me.

“I bet he likes you,” he continued.

“I would hope so, we have to train together,” I commented.

“No, I mean he like, likes you,” he explained, laughing a little.

I scoffed. “Yeah, alright,” I said shaking my head.

“Why wouldn't he? He comes from a different world. He gets to spend all his time with you, training, eating, living. Didn't he say something about not wanting to leave you?” he asked.

“He doesn't like me. I told him that he couldn't,” I told him.

“He's not a soldier. He doesn't think like that,” he reminded me.

“He doesn't like me. Even if he did, not like I could do the same,” I explained and pulled against the guys.

“It'll make you soft,” he commented. “Knowing that someone actually cares about who you are as a person and not just a soldier.”

“I am a soldier, that's it,” I told him and wiggled in their grip. This was ridiculous.

“Sure, until he starts to unravel the years of work,” he commented and grinned big before hitting my stomach again.

“You're pathetic for thinking that this bothers me,” I said shaking my head.

He shrugged. “Makes me happy. I heard about what they did to you in the capital,” he mentioned.

“That doesn't bother me either,” I told him and tried to hide my shock. Where did he find out? I never told anyone, not even Commander.

He grinned big. “Are you sure about that?” he asked and ran his hand up my arm slowly.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and attempted to ignore him.

“That's fine, you're pretty enough to mess with,” he commented and ran his other hand up my other arm.

“You're pathetic,” I told him.

He ignored me and ran his fingers up to my shoulders and down my chest and stomach.

“Just another thing to tell Commander. This will definitely get you in major trouble,” I continued.

He continued to ignore me and ran his fingers up my shirt.

“He'll banish you or worse, he'll kill you,” I told him and squirmed.

“Then I better make this worth it,” he told me with a smirk. He moved his hands down and ran them up my tank top.

I squirmed even more. “The more you do, the worse your punishment will be,” I told him, trying to get him to stop.

“I don't care, I wasn't going to be a commander anyways. I would just be a foot soldier,” he told me and ran his hands further up.

“You won't even be that. You'll always be the pathetic little boy that always come in second,” I mentioned.

He shrugged and grazed my skin slowly. I jerked away and glared at him. The other guys held me down more and Jax stepped closer as he trailed his fingertips down my sides.

“You're disgusting,” I told him and wriggled in their grip quickly.

He ran his fingers down to the edge of my jeans and smirked at me.

Panic suddenly swelled in my chest and I couldn't stop it. “Help!” I wailed frantically.

The guys laughed and Jax grinned bigger.

“Oh, I'll help you,” he told me and stepped even closer.

“Get away from me,” I spat and slammed my forehead into his nose as hard as I could.

He stepped back and rubbed his nose. “It's been broken so many times I'm surprised you actually tried that,” he commented and unbuttoned my jeans.

“Help! Get me out of here!” I wailed and tried to kick my legs at him.

The guy holding my legs held me tighter and Jax slid my jeans down ever so slightly. I bit my lip hard and quickly tried to get away again.

“You're not allowed to leave until I'm done with you,” he purred and trailed his fingers down.

“Get off of me,” I spat quickly and tried to jerk away from him.

He leaned down and kissed where he had hit me lightly. I winced a little and squirmed frantically.

“The more you squirm, the more fun I'll have,” he replied and kissed further down.

My lip trembled and I tried to stay still.

He glanced up and smirked. “Oh, did I upset the girl?”

I bit my lip to make it stop and shook my head quickly.

“Good,” he replied and went back to kissing lower and lower.

“Help!” I screamed and hoped it had been more than hour so Odin would come looking for me.

“Oh be quiet, no one is coming for you,” Jax ordered and slid my jeans down further.

“Help!” I screamed louder, ignoring him.

It went on like that for a while. He kept tormenting me and telling me that no one was even looking for me.

Suddenly the elevator started working again and Jax pulled away from me to look around.

“Who pushed that?” he asked the guys, who looked confused.

They all shook their heads and shrugged. The doors slid open and the Commander stood there with Odin. He looked nervous, but stood there obediently.

I sighed with relief and felt myself tremble slightly. The Commander took all of the guys away and to his office. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but I knew it wasn't good.

Odin ran into the elevator once he had left, breaking his obedient soldier act.

“Reese,” he said quickly. “I'm so sorry, I had no idea, I thought you were with the Commander. You never came back though, so I...I...” he stammered and clutched his hands tightly.

“It's okay,” I told him softly and pulled up my pants as high as they would go. I clutched the hem of my shirt and looked at the floor as I walked out of the elevator.

He followed after me. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,” he continued.

“It's okay,” I told him again, quieter this time.

He stayed quiet, but walked beside me. He kept looking around, then he'd look back at me, over and over.

I bit my lip hard to keep it still, feeling ashamed. I crawled into bed into a tight ball and buried my face into my knees so I wouldn't have to look at Odin.

He didn't crawl up into bed. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked softly.

I stayed quiet, he could do a lot of things. He could stay. He could try to make me pull myself together. Instead of saying anything, I just shook my head.

He stayed quiet for a moment. “Yes, Ma’am,” he replied obediently.

I wrapped my arms around myself tightly, trying to keep myself covered as much as possible. I had never felt like this. Not even when I was in the capital. I felt gross and ashamed. I was a soldier, I shouldn't have anything like that happen to me. Especially by another soldier.

I trembled and whimpered slightly without realizing.

“Oh, Reese,” Odin said softly and hesitated before sitting on the edge of my bed. “It's okay, the Commander won't let that happen again.”

“It shouldn't have happened,” I whimpered and felt even more ashamed.

“I know,” he said softly. “I'm sorry I didn't come quicker.”

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and shook my head at myself. I couldn't let this bother me. I was a soldier.

I felt him run his fingers through my hair slightly. I jumped a little and wanted to pull away but didn't.

“Sorry, that's wrong,” he told me and pulled his hand away quickly. “Stupid mistake.”

“It's okay,” I promised quietly.

“I won't do that again, Ma’am. I just wanted to make you feel better,” he said quickly.

“It's okay, you can do it if you want to,” I told him softly.

“Do you want me to?” he asked carefully.

“It's okay,” I said nodding a little.

He hesitated, but started running his fingers through my hair again. I trembled slightly. It was different than when that lady did it. I felt a little better.

He kept doing it for a long time. He seemed uneasy for a long time too, but he relaxed after a while.

“I'm sorry,” I told him after a while and pulled away to sit up and rub my face. “I'll stop being sad,” I promised.

“It's okay,” he promised me with a small smile. “It's normal to have emotions like that, I get it more than you realize.”

“It’s not normal,” I said shaking my head quickly.

“Oh, sorry,” he told me quietly and looked away, dropping his smile.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly and put my face in my hands. Why couldn’t I get over it?

“I was just trying to help,” he explained softly.

“I know, thank you. I just need to get over it,” I told him but started trembling again.

He looked over at me. “Yes, Ma’am.”

I took a shaky breath and smiled weakly at him, trying to show him that I was fine. I didn't seem to convince him and he looked at me with concern in his eyes. He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair slowly.

I looked down at my hands but let him run his fingers through my hair.

“Tell me to stop if you don't want me doing this,” he told me softly as he continued. “I don't want to make things worse.”

“It’s okay,” I told him softly.

He nodded and swallowed hard as he continued.

“I’m sorry you have to take care of me like this,” I told him softly.

“I don't mind,” he promised quietly.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding a little.

“You may be a soldier, but you're a human too,” he continued.

I swallowed and nodded again. “I’m sorry.”

“Don't be,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I told him.

He offered me a small smile. I smiled back weakly and looked back down at my hands. He stayed with me like that for a long time. He didn't say anything though, I assumed he didn't really know what to say.

I closed my eyes carefully but all I saw was Jax. I opened my eyes quickly and my lip trembled. How long was this going to last? I couldn’t live like this. A whimper escaped my throat and I leaned into his hand carefully.

“It's okay,” he promised softly. “You don't have to see him again.”

“I just want to forget,” I told him quietly and rubbed my stomach where he had hit me with a wince.

He nodded. “So I shouldn't say anything about it?” he asked softly.

“It’s okay, you can say something about it,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied and rubbed my head gently.

“I’m sure I’ll need to talk about it. People will ask questions,” I mentioned.

“I don't want you to have to think about it with me if you don't have to,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He started to say something, but pulled away quickly. He lept off the bed and stood at attention as Commander walked in the area. I wiped my face quickly and stood up at attention as well.

“At ease,” he told us and Odin relaxed, but didn't sit back down.

“Yes, Sir?” I asked curiously after relaxing.

“Those men will be executed tomorrow morning,” he told me. “You have the choice to allow me to do it, or to do it yourself.”

“I will do it if you would like me to, Sir,” I replied.

“It's your choice,” he assured me.

“I will do it,” I told him with a nod.

He returned the nod and examined Odin.

“You're lucky he came and got me. I wasn't sure if you were even coming to see me or not,” he mentioned.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“You're doing an excellent job of getting him into shape, I'd like to see his fighting skills soon,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir, I will let you know when he is ready,” I told him.

He nodded. “If you need anything, let me know.”

“Of course, Sir,” I replied.

He saluted then turned to walk off. Once he was gone, Odin smiled big at me.

“Did you hear that? He approved of me,” he said excitedly. “Well, of you for making me better.”

“I approve,” I told him with a nod and smiled back.

He laughed a little and grinned bigger. “I have to work on fighting, I don't want him not to approve of me...you...either of us.”

“He won’t, we’ll start training on your fighting skills again tomorrow,” I promised.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked and that look of concern returned.

“Yes, Sir,” I assured him with a nod. “I need to be okay.”

He nodded and smiled sweetly at me. “Good, I'm glad you'll be okay.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied.

“You're welcome, Ma’am,” he replied with a slight nod.

I stood at attention in a platoon with everyone from section C. They had lined all the sections up from the entire building in the training floor, since it was the biggest.

All of the guys who had helped Jax, along with Jax, were lined up and on their knees in front of us. They all looked terrified, Jax grinned.

I stayed still and watched Commander walk out with Reese. She was holding a gun in her hand and a straight face. I watched them carefully. Commander walked in front of the guys while Reese walked behind them.

“You will all die dishonorably, but you already knew that,” he told them then turned to us. “Let this be an example to all of you, if you don't like behaving and obeying, we can fix that. Easily.”

I swallowed hard, feeling like he was talking to me. I knew it wasn't directed at me though. It was a warning for everyone here.

Commander stepped back with Reese and nodded. She strolled up to the first guy and shot him in the back of the head without hesitation.

I jumped and closed my eyes. This was insane. This was almost inhuman. I knew what they did though. They hurt her, so she got to hurt them.

I forced my eyes open and watched her kill the rest. Jax grinned the entire time.

Commander dismissed us all to breakfast. I felt sick to my stomach as I pushed my food around. The sound of the gunshot lingered in my head. The image of their brains being blown out one by one was etched on the inside of my eyelids.

No more mistakes. I couldn't allow myself to let that be my fate. After all, I did have a legacy to continue.

“Are you okay?” Reese asked as she walked up to sit beside me.

I looked up at her and nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied, not wanting to explain that I'd never even seen a dead body before. Definitely hadn't seen someone kill another person.

“Just making sure,” she told me softly.

I nodded and looked back down at my plate. “What about you, Ma’am?” I asked politely.

She hesitated but nodded quickly. “Yes, Sir,” she assured me.

It was lingering with her. The whole incident. It was interesting to see her disturbed like this. I didn't know what had happened though. I only saw the end of it and that was enough.

I fought the urge to run my fingers through her hair again. She seemed to like that. I couldn't do that in front of anyone though. They'd kill me.

“Do you still want to practice your fighting skills today?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied with a nod. I needed to get on Commander’s good side. The way to do that was to impress him.

“Alright, is there anything in particular you would like to practice?” she asked.

“No, Ma’am. I believe it would do me some good to practice it all,” I replied obediently.

“Yes, Sir, we'll continue where we left off and take it from there then,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and went back to pushing my food around.

“Are you not hungry?” she asked after a while of watching me.

I shook my head. “No, Ma’am.”

“Alright, Sir,” she said nodding.

After breakfast we went to the training room. Everything had been cleaned up from this morning. I walked in slowly, I knew where the bodies had been. I wondered how many bodies had lay on this floor. I felt uneasy and looked around nervously.

She led me to our usual spot and offered me a smile. I smiled back slightly and hesitated.

“Does that sort of thing happen a lot?” I asked softly.

“No, Sir, it only happens when a soldier or group of soldiers does something morally or legally intolerable,” she explained. “So maybe once a year, maybe twice. Sometimes there aren't any executions all year.”

“It's not supposed to bother me, is it?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“No, Sir, not really,” she said shaking her head.

I sighed and clutched my hands. “Too many things bother me.”

“Honestly, if they don't interfere with your missions or training, then you can let them bother you. But the minute you question a piece of training or a mission because of it, that's when you shouldn't let it bother you,” she explained.

“Did it bother you?” I asked, already knowing the answer to that too.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding a little.

“Wait, really?” I asked curiously, not expecting that answer.

“Yes, Sir, I personally don't like executions. But it's customary for the soldier who had the wrong act done on to execute the wrongdoer,” she explained.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied with a nod. “Sorry I ask a lot of questions.”

“It's alright,” she assured me. “Anything else?”

“Is it alright because it's just you and me? Or is it alright in general?” I asked.

“It's alright in general. As long as you ask your questions correctly. You have to make sure that the way you ask it doesn't make someone take it the wrong way,” she explained.

I nodded. “I'll just ask you all my questions, just to be safe.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod. “Anything else?”

“Not right now,” I told her laughing a little. “I'm sure there will be more eventually.”

“Just let me know,” she told me.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Ready to get started?” she asked.

I nodded again. “Yes, Ma'am.”

I felt like I did better as the day went on. I could tell she was going a little harder on me, because everything ached when we were done. I was panting and had my hands on my knees. I wondered if she thought I did better or not.

“You'll get a cramp doing that. Stand up as straight as you can,” she commented.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I breathed and stood up straight. I breathed hard and looked up at the ceiling to distract myself.

This sucked. I wished this wasn't so painful and difficult. Then it would be too easy.

“I'll go get you some water,” she offered.

I nodded and put my hands on top of my head, looking straight ahead again. I turned and watched her walk, smiling a little. She was so nice to me. I wondered why. I shook my head and turned around. Mistake.

“Here you go,” she said a couple minutes later and held out a bottle of water for me.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” I breathed and took the bottle. I drank about half of it. I was going to be sore tomorrow, I could already feel it coming on.

“You're welcome,” she replied and started drinking her own water.

I finished off my bottle and cleared my throat before I started to stretch everything out. I hoped that would make everything a little less sore tomorrow. I sat down and started stretching out my legs.

“You're getting really good. If you are ready and want to, would you like to schedule a showing with Commander?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am, that would be awesome,” I told her excitedly and smiled big up at her. I was getting a chance to prove myself. I felt nervous, but I wasn't going to let that ruin everything.

“Yes, Sir, I'll schedule it tonight while I'm training with Commander,” she promised.

I nodded and crossed my arms so I could stretch that as well. I couldn't really hide the huge grin on my face, I was usually better about that.

She smiled back and started stretching herself.

I grinned a little as Odin and I circled each other. I could tell he was getting tired but he hid it. I lunged at him so we could continue fighting and not bore the Commander.

He ducked and swung his fist at the side of my head. He'd gotten in a few good punches throughout the whole match.

I blocked it. I tried to stay on his level so I wouldn't beat him up but also so it wouldn't seem like I'm letting him win. He kneed me hard in the gut and swung his fist at the side of my head again. I winced hard and grabbed my stomach without thinking. The bruises from Jax were still there and it sure didn't feel good. Before I could react, he hit me in the side of my head hard.

I winced harder, not able to brace myself. I grabbed my head quickly. “Okay, okay,” I breathed frantically, my stomach aching really bad.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied obediently, standing at attention for me.

I took a shaky breath and winced again. “I'm sorry,” I told him quietly.

I heard Commander walk over to us and give me a strange look.

I held my breath and stood up straight, forcing myself to ignore the pain. “I'm sorry, Sir, we can continue now. I hope this doesn't effect his results,” I told him.

“No, no, it’s alright. Did he knock the breath out of you?” he asked slowly.

I hesitated. “Yes, Sir,” I said nodding, not wanting to let them know that I still had bruises.

“Really?” he asked and examined Odin carefully.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated.

He nodded. “Well done,” he praised Odin.

“Thank you, Sir,” he replied, trying to hide his excitement.

“You have done much better than I thought you would. You may transfer early and continue training with your section,” he told Odin with a smile of approval.

I saw him hesitate. “Sir, I haven’t gotten a chance to work with any of the weapons,” he told Commander.

“You'll be continuing your training in your proper section,” he told him again.

“Yes, Sir,” he replied.

“I will prepare the paperwork and let Commander Leslie know that you will be coming in tomorrow after breakfast,” he explained.

“Yes, Sir,” he replied, a little quieter.

Commander turned to me and nodded. “Very good work, Reese,” he praised.

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied returning the nod.

He turned and walked out of the training floor. Odin looked down at the floor with an interesting look on his face.

“Congratulations, Sir,” I praised. “I told you that you'd do good enough.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” he replied and relaxed.

“You're welcome,” I said with a nod.

“I didn’t think he’d transfer me though,” he explained.

“Do you not want to transfer? I'm sure you'll fit in great now. You are like them now, you just have to put yourself out there,” I assured him.

“It’s not that,” he explained softly.

“What is it, Sir?” I asked curiously.

“I just don’t like things to change. I enjoy training with you, that’s been my life for a while and now it’s changing again. I probably won’t really see you anymore,” he explained.

“It'll be alright, Sir, you'll meet people much better than me to train with you,” I assured him.

“But they won’t be like you,” he told me softly.

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“Oh,” I said looking down. “I'm sorry, Sir.”

“It’s fine, I don’t get a choice,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and looked back up at him.

He nodded and rubbed his arms a little as he stared at the ground.

I hesitated. “Wait, is what you're saying is that you'll miss me?” I asked carefully.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“Well, how about we skip training to hang out? So you can get your Reese quota over with?” I asked curiously.

“Over with,” he said, laughing a little. “Are you suggesting that I’m supposed to get tired of you?”

“Yes, Sir, so you won't miss me,” I explained.

He shook his head. “That’s not how that works. There’s not some limit to how much time you can spend with a person over time to not miss them when you lose them.”

“Oh, sorry, Sir,” I told him and felt a little embarrassed.

“It’s fine, I’ve gotten used to how you think,” he explained with a shrug. “I’m the odd one here.”

“How I think?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am. You blur out your emotions and thoughts that are looked down upon to be the best soldier you can be. I’m sort of the opposite, I can’t really stop my emotions like you can, I can push them away, but it always comes back,” he replied.

“That makes sense, Sir,” I said nodding.

“It’s just how you process things, which I’ve gotten used to by being around you so much,”  he explained. “But, you’ll also talk to me like a normal person, others won’t do that. It’s what makes you different.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and wondered if that was a good thing or not, being different.

He smiled at me. “So we can just hang out?”

“If you would like to,” I said with a shrug.

“Okay, but you have to just relax and be yourself. None of this ‘Sir’ stuff,” he told me.

“Wait, calling you Sir is being myself,” I told him and gave him a confused look.

“No, it’s what’s you’ve been taught,” he replied.

“Then how do I act?” I asked curiously.

“Just be normal and not so stern,” he explained. “Just for now, since...you know.”

I hesitated. Normal and stern were the same thing for me. What? “Uh, yes, Si-” I started but stopped myself quickly. “I can do that.”

He nodded and smiled a little. “So, what’s fun to do around here?”

“Uh, normal fun? Or...stem fun?” I asked.

“Normal, relaxing,” he explained.

I thought about it. “You seemed to like it outside,” I mentioned.

He smiled bigger. “I do like it outside.”

“We can go outside if you'd like,” I told him.

“I’d love to go outside,” he told me nodding quickly.

“Yes-” I started and sighed a little at myself. “Let's go outside then.”

He nodded and followed after me. “Are we going on the roof?”

“Unless you want to go on the ground,” I told him.

“We can go on the roof,” he told me with a big grin.

“Alright,” I said nodding and led him to the elevator.

Once we got on the roof, he ran to the edge to peer over, leaning over the railing ever so slightly. He breathed in deeply and sighed.

“I miss being outside,” he commented.

“Once you go on missions, you'll be outside more,” I told him.

He turned around to smile at me. “What sort of missions will I go on?”

“Depends on what you specialize in. I'm usually a sniper so I sometimes go to the city to assassinate someone,” I explained.

“That sounds interesting,” he said slowly. “I don’t know if I could kill someone though.”

“There are different missions based on what you specialize in,” I explained.

“Good, the thought of killing someone makes me uneasy,” he mentioned.

“Is that wrong? Is it supposed to make me uneasy for now?” I asked.

He gave me a confused look. “Oh, no, no, just relax.”

“Alright, I just want to be...normal for today,” I explained.

He offered me a smile. “There's nothing wrong with who you are. I thought it would interesting for you to act like you aren't a soldier for a little bit.”

Who I am? I suddenly thought of Jax told me. Is that what he meant? Did Odin like me? No, he didn’t, he couldn’t. I nodded and smiled back. “I can do that,” I promised.

“Good,” he said and gazed out over the desert again. “How much of Opes have you seen?”

“All over, mostly the bigger cities,” I told him.

“Is it extraordinary?” he asked softly.

“Very,” I said nodding. “It’s mostly desert, but that’s what I like about it.”

“What about buildings? Is the architecture beautiful?” he asked me.

“Not really, it’s mostly like these buildings or those buildings over there,” I explained and pointed at the city closest to us, Princeton. The glass buildings just barely came over the horizon.

He looked at it intently. “I want to get closer,” he replied.

“We should probably stay on the roof,” I told him, knowing we would get in huge trouble for leaving without a mission.

“Yeah, I know,” he replied, nodding.

“I’m sorry,” I told him.

“No, it's alright,” he assured me. “I just love cities.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

“Architecture amazes me,” he continued. “The way you can piece everything together and end up with a brilliant result. It's like a puzzle.”

“I didn’t know you liked architecture,” I commented.

He shrugged a little and looked over at me. “I like to learn, so I tried to learn as much as I could. That sort of stuck with me the most.”

“Interesting,” I said nodding and smiled a little.

“I also enjoy any type of science,” he mentioned.

I hesitated, not wanting to sound ignorant. “What does science consist of?” I asked carefully.

He grinned big. “All sorts of things, it ranges from biology to chemistry. There are tons more, I took all of them. It sort of explains everything. Why we can walk around, why Earth works the way it does, anything related to plants and minerals,” he listed off.

I felt my face scrunch up in confusion. “Oh, okay,” I said nodding even though I had no idea what those things were. Biology? Chemistry?

“Astrology is a big favorite too,” he explained, obviously too caught up in his excitement to realize I was lost.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He looked up at the sky. “The stars and planets,” he explained.

I looked up as well and nodded.

“Other galaxies too,” he added.

I bit my lip a little. What was he talking about? I decided not to ask and ruin his excitement and just nodded again. “That’s cool.”

He nodded in agreement. “It's enchanting, knowing that there's more to everything. It's not just us standing in this moment, it's everything that goes into allowing us to exist and prosper.”

“Really?” I asked quietly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. I hid it so I wouldn’t ruin it.

“Really,” he said nodding. “It's not just you and I standing here. It's our surroundings and why they are the way they are. The animals that roam around us, regardless of what we’re doing. There's so much to this world.”

I swallowed and sat down, looking back up at the sky.

He sat down beside me and looked up as well. “It's so perfect and peaceful.”

I nodded slowly and laid down to look up easier.

He stayed sitting up. “Understanding it all makes you appreciate what you have.”

“Understanding it,” I repeated and nodded. I looked over at him. “Can you teach me?”

He looked over curiously. “Me teach you?”

“Yeah,” I said nodding. “Unless you don’t want to. I’m sorry, I just don’t know all this stuff and I thought you’d be the only one here who’d really know.”

“No, I'd love to teach you. I'm surprised you don't know it already,” he mentioned.

“I’ve only ever learned how to be in an army,” I explained.

He nodded in understanding. “That makes sense. I'd jump all over that offer, but we won't be seeing one another,” he told me quietly.

“Oh, alright,” I said nodding.

“I'm sorry, believe me, I'd teach you everything I know,” he told me softly.

“Thank you,” I told him and offered a smile.

He smiled back and looked at the ground.

“It’s okay, I don’t need to learn about science. If I’ve gone this long without it, then I think I’m good,” I assured him.

“It's not fair that you never got to experience it all,” he told me.

“I got to experience different things,” I explained.

“I thought I'd be able to pay you back for what you did for me,” he explained.

“You don’t need to pay me back. I was ordered to train you and I did. Orders don’t always result in rewards,” I told him.

“I would teach you if I wasn't being transferred,” he told me.

“I know,” I said nodding. “Plus, you did pay me back. You saved me,” I told him without thinking.

“Saved you?” he asked curiously.

I hesitated and grabbed the hem of my shirt by instinct. “Yeah,” I said nodding.

“Oh,” he said, suddenly realizing what I meant. “I had to do that, that wasn't some favor.”

“Oh, sorry,” I told him and looked down.

“So, technically, I still owe you,” he replied. “Because you saved me as well.”

“You’ve saved me twice now,” I told him.

“Twice?” he asked curiously.

“From the capital and from Jax,” I explained.

“I was the one who sent you there,” he replied softly. “Sorry about all that.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to it,” I joked and laughed a little.

He laughed back and pulled his necklace out to mess with.

“Sorry, that was a bad joke,” I said and sighed. So much for being normal.

“No, it was fine, this is just a habit,” he explained.

“It was still a bad joke,” I commented and looked down at my hands.

“It's fine,” he assured me.

“Alright,” I said nodding without looking back up.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly after a while.

“Yeah,” I assured him and looked up to smile at him.

“Are you sure?” he asked, smiling back.

“Yeah,” I said again with a nod.

He stared at me briefly before reaching out and running his fingers through my hair gently. I relaxed a little and closed my eyes. I don’t know why I liked it. It felt so good for some reason.

He laughed softly. “You really like that, huh?” he asked curiously.

I nodded a little and smiled slightly.

“I was worried the first time I tried to do this, I was scared you'd hate me for touching you,” he explained.

“This is different, I don’t know why,” I told him.

“Different?” he asked curiously.

I nodded again. “I think it’s because you did it when I was in my most vulnerable moment. It made me feel better so my mind recognizes that feeling,” I rambled.

“I'm glad I made you feel better, I didn't know how to help, I just knew it had to,” he explained softly.

“You don’t have to make me feel better now. I’m good, I hardly even remember it,” I assured him and rubbed my stomach gently without realizing.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked and stopped running his fingers through my hair to just hold the side of my head.

“You can if you want. I’m fine,” I told him.

“It's up to you,” he replied.

“Today is different, you can make the decision,” I told him and opened my eyes to smile at him.

He nodded and hesitated before he started messing with my hair again. I hesitated as well before pulling my hair down for him.

He smiled. “I didn't realize that your hair was that long. I always thought it was short.”

“It used to be,” I told him. “I always keep it up, it grows a little more every time I put it up, it seems.”

He laughed a little. “Probably because you don't see it down like this.”

“Probably,” I said and looked down at it.

He ran his fingers down through my hair slowly. I watched him carefully before closing my eyes again.

“Is this okay?” he asked softly.

“To me or in general?” I asked.

“To you,” he replied.

I nodded a little and swallowed hard. If someone happened to come up here, we’d be in so much trouble. I could lose my opportunity to be Commander. He’d probably be executed.

“You'd tell me if you didn't like something, right?” he asked softly.

“Of course,” I assured him.

“You'd probably punch me,” he mentioned, laughing a little as he rubbed a piece of my hair between his fingers.

“I would,” I told him with a nod.

“A simple no would be sufficient,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and sighed with frustration at myself. I was doing so good.

He laughed and started running his fingers through my hair again.

“I’m sorry I can’t be normal,” I told him quietly and looked down at my hands.

“You are normal, just not my version of normal. Normal varies from person to person,” he replied.

“You wanted me to be your normal, didn’t you?” I asked.

“It's okay,” he promised. “As long as I can hang out with you, it's fine.”

I clenched my jaw a little. “Why do you like hanging out with me?” I asked carefully.

“Because I enjoy being around you,” he replied. “It makes everything less intense and stern.”

I nodded, a little relieved by his answer. “Alright,” I replied.

“Do you like hanging out with me?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah,” I said nodding again.

He smiled a little. “I’m really sorry we won't be able to do this again.”

“It’s okay, you’ll have your people in section L. There probably will be someone that is like me, someone you can ask your questions and talk,” I assured him.

“Still won't be the same,” he replied and smiled a little.

“I’m sorry,” I told him.

“It's okay,” he promised softly and kept messing with my hair.

“Okay,” I said nodding and looked down to play with my fingers and let him continue.

He kept doing it for a long time before pulling his hand away with a sigh.

“Is something wrong?” I asked looking up at him.

“No,” he told me, shaking his head and smiled up at me. “Everything is just fine.”

“Alright,” I said and returned the smile. “Good.”

He examined me again before staring up at the sky.

I hesitated before pulling my hair back up into its original ponytail.

He seemed a little disappointed, but didn't say anything. He looked down and played with the necklace instead.

“We should go inside before someone wonders where we are. We can hang out inside,” I offered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied softly.

The breakfast alarm went off like usual and I woke up. I crawled out of bed to grab my boots and looked at Odin’s old bed. I wondered when I would stop doing that. I knew he wasn’t there but I always checked for some reason. I sighed a little and got ready like I always did.

I followed everyone to the cafeteria and got my food to sit down. I expected to see Odin sit next to me in the empty spot but it just stayed empty. I don’t know why nobody sat there. Maybe it’s because they were used to Odin sitting there too.

I pushed my food around, not as hungry as usual for some reason. But I took a couple bites as I listened to the people around me talk.

The two boys sitting closest to me were talking about the new gear we just got. How advanced it is and how they were going to use it on their mission. I could hear Odin asking me about everything in my head.

I shook my head. Why was I still thinking about him? He’s in section L now. He’s been in section L for a while. I had to push whatever the reason for why I was still thinking was away. I stood up to take my half full plate to the trash and walked out of the room to the training room.

I pulled off my over shirt and tightened my ponytail. I went over to a dummy to start punching it.

Training would help.

I kept punching the dummy over and over. I elbowed it and kneed it a couple times but I mainly punched it. Adrenaline rushed through me like it always did when I fought or trained, keeping me going.

I punched for what seemed like hours. When most of the adrenaline wore off, I punched the dummy hard and winced.

I pulled away and looked down at my hands. My knuckles were busted and bleeding. Great. I was hitting too much, too hard, and too fast. I walked over to a shelf to get the gauze. I started wrapping it around my knuckles with shaky hands, adrenaline still lingering in my veins.

“You usually don't do that,” I heard Commander comment.

I jumped and turned to look at him. “Do what?” I asked curiously.

“You usually don't bust up your knuckles, you're better about catching yourself before it happens,” he replied.

“Oh, yeah, I got a little carried away,” I explained with a shrug.

He nodded and examined me carefully.

“I'll make sure it doesn't happen again,” I promised.

He nodded. “You've been behaving differently.”

“Sorry, Sir,” I replied.

“Why is that?” he asked curiously.

“I don't know, Sir,” I told him shaking my head.

He nodded and examined me again. “Come along,” he ordered and started walking out of the room towards the elevator.

“Yes, Sir,” I said and followed after him.

He took me down to his office and sat at his desk. “Sit,” he told me, gesturing to the seat in front of the desk.

I did as I was told and looked up at him curiously. He started shuffling through the papers strung across his desk.

“Did I do something wrong, Sir?” I asked curiously.

“No, you're fine,” he assured me without looking up.

“Yes, Sir,” I said with a nod.

He pulled a file up and look at me. “I have a mission for you,” he explained.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated and hid my excitement. I hadn't been on a mission since I attacked Terra, I was too busy training Odin then I had to catch up on my training.

“You may bring a partner,” he told me as he handed me the file.

“Who would you suggest I bring?” I asked.

“You're choice,” he replied.

“Anyone out of the army?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied with a nod.

“What is the mission?” I asked.

“Infiltrate and collect what is demanded in the file,” he explained. “It is a stealth mission, I'd prefer no one to be killed, but do as needed. Just don't be spotted.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said with a nod.

“I want it done in the next few days,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir, I'll get it done,” I promised.

“Decide your partner by tonight and inform me before heading out, you are dismissed,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and nodded before standing up to walk out of the room.

I went back to my bunk to sit down and look at the file. I read through it. I needed to retrieve a hard drive containing confidential information from Seemer. That was almost across the country. It should be easy. I wondered who I would choose. I didn't work well with the people in my section and the only person I knew otherwise was Odin. He should work.

I could ask him if he would go with me at lunch. Hopefully he'd remember me.

I waited for the lunch alarm to go off before heading to the cafeteria. I bit my lip as I walked over to section L’s table. I looked for Odin before walking over to him.

“Good afternoon, Sir,” I greeted and held the paper behind my back.

He looked back at me, confused at first, but his eyes lit up with excitement. He stood up at attention.

“Good afternoon, Ma’am,” he greeted politely.

“At ease,” I told him with a nod. “May I sit?”

He relaxed. “Of course, Ma’am,” he assured me.

I sat down and looked at everyone sitting around us. “I would like to talk to Mr. Lukin alone, please,” I told them.

A few of them got up and left immediately, a few looked annoyed, but left.

I looked up at Odin. “You can sit,” I told him and put the file on the table in front of me.

He sat down and smiled at me. “How have you been?”

“Good, how have you been?” I asked politely.

“Good,” he replied with a nod.

“Training going good?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am. I've been learning a lot about the different weapons and technology that is offered here,” he replied, seeming excited.

“Have you been offered any missions yet?” I asked curiously.

He shook his head. “No, Ma’am, I was just recently given a tracker.”

“Would you like to be offered a mission?” I asked. “Do you believe you're ready?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied confidently.

“Would you like to go on a mission with me?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he repeated.

“Good,” I said nodding and slid the file over to him. “This is our mission.”

He took it and flipped it open to read over it. “Seemer?” he asked curiously.

“It's a city in Opes towards the east coast,” I explained.

He nodded. “I need a map,” he commented to himself. “Yes, Ma’am, I think I could handle this.”

“Yes, Sir, Commander would like us to get it done in the next few days. We can get an aircraft to get us there,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied and closed the file to hand it back to me.

I smiled at him and took the file. He smiled a little bigger at me.

“When are we heading out?” he asked curiously.

“I'll need to tell Commander that you're going with me then we can head in the morning if you'd like,” I offered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied happily.

“Commander said that this is a stealth mission so we can't be seen or try not to kill anyone,” I continued.

“I can be stealthy,” he told me.

“Good,” I said nodding.

“I won't be familiar with my surroundings,” he commented.

“Commandeer will give us a map,” I assured him.

“Awesome,” he said with a nod. “I mean, yes, Ma’am,” he corrected himself quickly. “I apologize.”

“It's okay,” I assured him.

He smiled. “I'm just really eager to go on a mission. Everyone always talks about them.”

“Now you get to go on one too,” I told him with a smile.

“Exactly,” he said nodding. “Have you eaten lunch yet?”

“No, Sir,” I replied shaking my head.

“Care to eat lunch with me?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and got up to get my lunch.

When I got back, the other soldiers were back in there spots talking amongst one another. Odin was talking to a guy twice his size who was on his left.

I sat down on the other side of him and started pushing my food around. He turned and smiled at me.

“What have you been up to?” he asked me curiously.

“Training,” I replied and returned the smile.

“Did you see all the new gear we got?” he asked excitedly. The guy next to him chuckled and shook his head.

“I haven't gotten the chance to check it out yet but I do know that we got some new stuff,” I replied.

“It's very cool, Jason was showing me how it all works,” he explained and glanced at the guy beside him before looking back at me.

“Good,” I said nodding.

“I think I'm catching on,” he told me.

“You think?” I asked raising an eyebrow and chuckled a little at him.

“I think, it's all still extremely new,” he explained.

“You're still extremely new,” I teased.

He laughed. “Very true, that tracker is still new too. Hurts,” he mentioned.

“It'll stop in a couple days,” I assured him.

“It's really bruised too,” he commented and pulled his shirt out a little to look down it.

“It'll heal,” I promised and smiled a little.

He smiled. “I certainly hope so,” he told me and let go of his shirt.

“It will, they're only bruises,” I told him laughing a little.

“I can feel it though,” he mentioned and touched where his tracker was.

“You can put some ice on it right before you go to sleep,” I suggested.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“You just need to toughen up,” Jason commented playfully.

“Working on it,” Odin replied.

“Work harder,” he continued.

“Yes, Sir,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” Jason mocked with a smile.

Odin shook his head then smiled back at me. “This is who’s taking care of me now,” he explained.

“Good,” I said nodding and smiled at Jason.

He offered me a polite smile and returned to eating.

“Sometimes,” Odin commented. “He likes to hit harder than you did.”

“I didn't get to get that far,” I explained with a shrug.

“Fair enough,” he said nodding.

“I could hit you harder,” I mentioned smiling.

“Not during lunch,” he told me, laughing a little. “Plus, I don't think you could hit me anyways. I'm a little better at blocking and dodging.”

“Not as good as me hitting,” I told him.

He shrugged. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Don't shrug, you know it's true,” I teased.

“It might not be anymore,” he teased back.

“It is,” I told him.

“Not,” he replied.

I sighed at him. “Whatever makes you feel better.”

He laughed at me and started eating. I smiled at him and started eating as well.

He nudged me slightly. “Am I allowed to talk about what we discussed?” he asked quietly.

“The mission? No, Sir,” I said shaking my head.

“I didn't think so,” he replied and started eating again.

“We can talk about it after lunch,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied with a nod.

“Did the little guy get a mission?” Jason teased.

I chuckled a little and smiled at Odin. “The little guy did get a mission,” I teased.

“I'm not little,” Odin complained.

“Smaller than me,” Jason continued and grinned a little.

“That's because you're like a bodybuilder,” he commented.

“That's because I am a bodybuilder,” he said laughing.

“And I'm not,” he explained, laughing a little.

“And so you're little,” he told him.

He sighed. “Not little, normal.”

“Whatever you say,” he said with a shrug.

“See what I deal with?” he asked, turning to me.

“You are a little small,” I teased.

“Bigger than you,” he said with a playful scoff.

“So?” I asked laughing.

“So if I'm small, you're tiny,” he replied.

“That's fine,” I replied shrugging.

“Tiny,” he teased with a nudge.

“Little,” I teased back.

He shrugged. “Better than my other nickname.”

“What's your other nickname?” I asked curiously.

Jason laughed.

“Nothing,” he promised quickly. “It's nothing.”

I looked at Jason. “What's his nickname?”

“It varies,” he replied. “He seems to like girly though.”

“I am not girly,” Odin said loudly.

I laughed at him. “Girly?”

“No, I'd rather be called small,” he told me quickly.

“Alright, tiny,” I teased.

He groaned and shook his head. “No, you're tiny. I'm small.”

“I like tiny better,” Jason commented.

“Tiny is better,” I told him nodding in agreement.

Odin groaned. “I wouldn't have invited you to lunch if I knew you were going to gang up on me.”

“Sorry, Sir,” I said quickly and looked down at my food.

“I'm teasing,” he assured me with a smile.

I smiled back and nodded a little. He started eating again and before long the alarm went off for lunch to be over. I finished up eating really quick before standing up with my tray.

Odin hesitated, but smiled at me with a nod before walking off. I followed him so we could talk about our mission and threw my tray away.

He threw his stuff away and seemed lost in thought as he walked down the hallway.

“Where would you like to talk?” I asked curiously as I walked beside him.

“Oh, right,” he said and shook his head a little. “Where ever is most convenient for you, Ma’am.”

“We need to go somewhere that there won't be people who could overhear,” I explained.

“The roof?” he asked curiously.

“Sounds good,” I said with a nod and headed towards the elevator.

He followed after me and stayed quiet as we headed to the roof.

“I assume you'll be planning the mission?” he asked curiously.

“We're partners so we'll need to plan it together,” I explained.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied and leaned against the railing.

“The hard drive is supposed to be on the fifth floor in the building. I assume it's in an office,” I started.

“Would it be in a desk? Or stashed away a little better?” he asked curiously.

“Probably stashed a little better,” I told him.

He nodded. “Getting in the building shouldn't be too hard. We just have to get in undetected.”

“We'll figure out what kind of building it is. Then we can either go in disguised or go in through the roof,” I explained.

He nodded. “Do you know what sort of information is on the hard drive?”

“No, Sir, I just know that it's confidential,” I told him.

“Then it'll probably be in a safe of some sort,” he explained.

“I can break into one of those,” I replied.

He nodded. “Then this shouldn't be too hard,” he replied and hesitated. “If we go in disguise I won't be able to speak,” he mentioned.

“If we need to, I'll go in, in a disguise and you could come through the roof,” I offered.

He nodded. “Sorry, the accent sort of screws me over.”

“It's fine,” I assured him.

“But it all depends on the building,” he continued. “Does it give us that information?” he asked, gesturing at the file.

“No, just gives us a location. We'll get a map tonight,” I explained.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“Then we'll be able to plan it out completely,” I continued.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“Anything else we can plan before we get the map?” I asked.

“I don't believe so,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I said with a nod.

He nodded back and smiled at me. “I'm glad you chose me to come along with you.”

“Of course, Sir,” I replied, returning the smile.

He smiled. “It's really good to see you again.”

“It's good to see you too,” I told him with a polite nod.

“I suppose I hadn't met my quota,” he said with a shrug.

“You haven't? Well, I'm sure you'll meet it after the mission,” I assured him.

“Doubt it,” he said with another shrug.

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“I enjoy your company,” he explained.

“That's good,” I said nodding.

He smiled. “Yes, Ma'am, it is.”

I smiled back. “I'll make sure you've met your quota,” I promised.

“Good luck,” he said laughing a little.

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied.

“You're welcome, it'll take a while for me to get tired of you,” he mentioned.

I bit my tongue a little. What does that mean? “I'm sure it won't.”

He gave me a skeptical look. “Whatever you say, Ma’am.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He laughed a little and pulled out his necklace to mess with. “Do we have anything else to discuss?”

“I don't think so,” I replied with a shrug.

“Do you have anything you'd like to talk about?” he asked curiously.

“No, Sir,” I said shaking my head.

“I guess we’re done then,” he said softly and nodded.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and headed back to the elevator.

“I have another question,” he said quickly.

“Oh, sorry, what is it, Sir?” I asked turning back around.

“Why did you chose me?” he asked curiously and walked over to me.

“I don't work well with anyone in my section and you're the only one that isn't in my section that I actually get along with,” I explained.

He nodded and tucked his necklace back in his shirt. “Did you miss me?” he asked curiously.

I hesitated. “Yes, Sir, I think I did.”

“You think?” he asked curiously, smiling a little.

“I don't really know, Sir,” I admitted.

“You don't know?” he asked curiously and smiled a little less.

“I don't know how to miss someone,” I explained.

“Did you want to see me, or did you think about me while we weren't together?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, it seemed like you should be there doing something,” I told him.

He smiled again. “That's missing someone.”

“I missed you then,” I told him with a nod.

“I missed you too,” he told me softly.

“I'm sorry, Sir,” I replied.

“It's okay, you're here now,” he said with a sweet smile.

“Yes, Sir,” I told him with another nod.

He smiled and stayed quiet for a while. It seemed like he was thinking about something.

“Is something wrong?” I asked curiously.

“No, Ma'am,” he promised, smiling a little more.

“Just making sure,” I explained and smiled back.

He didn't say anything, then quickly looked out over the desert. I followed his gaze and walked over to the railing so I could see easier.

“I didn't think I'd see you again,” he commented softly and placed his hands on the railing.

“You didn't?” I asked and looked up at him.

“No, Ma'am,” he replied without looking. “That's why I was so upset that I was leaving.”

“After this mission, if there aren't any others, we'll probably see each other during meetings with all the other commanders,” I mentioned.

He shrugged. “It's not the same. I won't get to genuinely spend time with you.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, Sir,” I told him and looked back over the desert.

“It's not your fault, Ma'am. It's just an observation that I don't necessarily like,” he replied.

“Alright,” I said nodding.

“Doesn't seem to bother you,” he continued.

“I have done away with most of my sympathy and emotion,” I explained. “I think it sucks that you have to go again but I know that that's the rules.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied softly and started to say something, but just stared over the desert.

“What is it, Sir?” I asked curiously.

He stared at the ground and shook his head. He pulled out his necklace to mess with again.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and looked around.

“I suppose I haven’t been able to push it away like you can,” he commented after a while.

“It takes a lot of will and experience,” I explained.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it,” he explained.

“You'll either have to push it away for good or keep it hidden,” I told him.

“I just hide it,” he replied softly.

“That's a very dangerous idea. All those suppressed emotions can get you in trouble if you let it consume you,” I explained.

He looked up at me. “And getting rid of everything isn’t?”

“How is it dangerous?” I asked.

“You lose your humanity,” he replied.

“Oh, alright,” I said nodding and bit my tongue.

“That’s what I believe that is,” he explained.

“That makes sense,” I told him softly.

“I don’t want to lose that, it’s one of the only things I have. Other than this necklace of course, but that hasn’t been taken because it’s my father’s,” he replied.

I nodded in understanding. “Then you can hide your feelings,” I told him.

“I was going to, Ma’am,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I said with another nod.

He nodded and looked back down at the ground. He grabbed his hands and rubbed them carefully.

“I suppose I’m just lucky to be able to go on a mission with you. I should be thinking about the here and now, not things in the future that are implausible,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated.

“I apologize for wasting your time up here again,” he told me and shook his head. “I think too much and it’s obviously affecting me dangerously. I need to learn to control myself in a proper manner. I’ll see you once you get the map, Ma’am,” he continued, refusing to look at me. He walked off quickly, without another word, looking like a scolded animal.

“Oh, alright,” I said even though he was gone. I stood on the roof for a little longer before heading back inside to get ready for dinner.

I stared down at the map as the aircraft flew us to Seemer. I examined the building, I could go through the roof, easily. I glanced over at Reese, she was gazing out the aircraft window.

I examined her for a moment before looking back down at the map. I had to focus on the mission, not her.

“So you're going in disguised?” I asked, trying to act casual. I had already made a fool of myself.

“Yes, Sir, I'll change once we land,” she explained.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and examined my completely black uniform.

I gazed around the aircraft. It was a stealth aircraft. So it was completely black and practically silent. It was a huge difference compared to the usual aircrafts.

“You might want to leave your necklace here in case we get caught,” she mentioned. “The east coast doesn't exactly like your father.”

“Why not?” I asked curiously and pulled my necklace over my head. It felt weird not wearing it.

“When they were discussing attacking Terra, the east voted against it and your father did it anyway. Now they're being punished for something they didn't want to do,” she explained.

“They'd punish me for something I didn't do?” I asked curiously.

“Because your father did that, yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

“I didn't do that though, I didn't even live here at the time,” I commented.

“They'd punish you for being his son because they would think that you'd be the same way. They don't care if you didn't live here or knew that your father did all that,” she told me.

“That doesn't make sense, but thank you for the warning,” I told her and set my necklace in the seat beside me.

“You're welcome,” she replied.

“I suppose that symbol is associated with my father,” I commented, trying to keep talking.

“Yes, Sir,” she told me with a nod.

“Did he always wear that necklace?” I asked.

“From what I heard, yes, Sir,” she replied.

I nodded and rubbed my chest where it usually sat. “We won't get caught though, right?”

“If we do this correctly, no, Sir,” she told me.

“Which we will,” I told her, nodding a little. I started rethinking everything. “Ma'am?” I asked carefully.

“Yes, Sir?” she asked curiously.

“Wouldn't that make more sense for you to go in through the roof with me?” I asked curiously.

“How so?” she asked.

“I mean, it's a stealth mission and I'm not sure how you going in through the building will give us the upper hand,” I explained.

“Oh, alright,” she said nodding and thought about it.

“I don't know, maybe I'm just rambling and over thinking,” I said quickly and looked at the floor.

“I can go through the roof with you,” she told me.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“I’ll still need to change into all black and get all my gear,” she commented to herself.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied again.

She nodded and gazed back out the aircraft window. I stayed quiet for the remainder of the trip. She didn't want to talk to me, probably because of everything I said on the roof.

It was a while before the aircraft slowed down and hovered slightly.

“I'll open the hatch when you're ready, Ma'am,” the pilot told Reese.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and stood up to start putting a couple different guns on her hips and back.

I stood up as well and started putting weapons on myself. I recalled everything that Jason explained. Everything that I had to carry and be silent about it.

When she finished getting ready, she watched me until I was done. “We’re ready, Sir,” she told him.

He nodded and a section of the floor dropped slowly. I watched it curiously. I hadn't see that since the soldiers took me to the capital. I followed Reese and watched her leap down onto the roof. I copied her and landed properly.

“Ready?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and stood up. I watched the aircraft take off silently.

“Alright, let's go,” she said and ran over to a hatch to get us inside.

I ran after her carefully and examined our surroundings. The city seemed very simple. Gray buildings as far as I could see. Not like Terra, with all the shimmering white buildings.

“After this point, no talking unless it's absolutely necessary,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied, I knew that.

She nodded and opened the hatch to a crack. She peeked inside carefully before sliding it open enough for us to get through. She checked again before hopping down into the building.

I hopped down with her and set the hatch back into place silently. I looked around. The building was dark, I could hear voices though. I felt like my heartbeat was echoing off the walls. Someone would hear it and find us.

I forced myself to relax and followed after Reese. She checked the map before heading to the stairwell at the end of the hall we were on. We were on the seventh floor.

I followed her down the stairs quietly, looking behind us quickly every now and then. We got down to the correct floor and she peered down the hall carefully before checking the map again. She walked silently down the hall to the room we were supposed to be in.

I kept checking behind us, really paranoid about everything. She slipped into the right room and I followed after her. I stood by the door, leaving it barely cracked so I could watch for people. She strolled across the room and started looking around.

I heard her look through the desk quietly for a while before moving to another part of the room.

I stared out into the hallway, still feeling nervous. I tried not to let my mind wander and forced myself to focus. I looked back at her, wondering if she had found it yet.

She stopped looking to think hard about it. She looked down at the floor and examined it carefully.

I heard voices and I looked out the crack in the door.

“Yes, Sir, I have it in my office,” I heard a man comment to someone else.

My heart raced and I panicked. I shut the door and locked it. I looked around with wide eyes and noticed another door. I ran over to Reese and gave her a panicked look.

She went over to the door to unlock it and went over to the window. She opened it and gestured for me to follow her.

I followed after her quickly. Where were we supposed to go? She pointed at herself, telling me to copy her before taking out two hooks and ropes, handing me one. She tied it around her waist and climbed out of the window carefully. She stuck the hook on the sill to keep her up.

“You've got to be kidding,” I thought but quickly copied her. I breathed hard and tried not to panic as I dangled.

She reached up with a shaky hand to crack the window and ducked her head down a little. I looked over at her with huge eyes. This was crazy. All for some hard drive?

“Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down,” I said quickly in my head and just stared at her.

She glanced over at me and nodded reassuringly with a small smile. She peeked over the window sill carefully and watched the people inside.

I glanced down and saw how high we were and panic filled me. I looked back up and squeezed my eyes shut. This is how I was going to die. Hanging off the side of a building like an idiot. I trembled hard, but stayed quiet.

I heard her curse under her breath. “They took the drive,” she whispered over to me.

“Did you not find it?” I breathed back.

“I was about to, it was under the floorboard. I was so close,” she scolded herself quietly.

“Let's go get it then,” I told her.

She peeked back into the window and nodded. “You go after the red head. Don't let him get away,” she told me quietly.

“Me?” I squeaked, but she was already climbing back in the window.

“Hey-” one of the men started to say but she covered his mouth and stuck a knife to his back.

I pulled myself through the window and locked eyes with the red head. He scrambled out into the hallway. I unhooked myself and chased after him.

He ran out the door and down the hall quickly towards an elevator. I ran at him and ran through my training. Instead of shooting him or stabbing him, like I probably should have. I grabbed his hair and slammed his head as hard as I could into the elevator door.

He yelped and tried to grab at me frantically. I grabbed his throat and squeezed hard. I had to keep him quiet and if I shot him blood would go everywhere. He breathed hard and started wheezing slightly.

My eyes widened. I was actually killing someone. Why was I doing this? My mind raced, but I just squeezed harder.

He thrashed around quickly and struggled to breathe. I squeezed harder and dug my nails into his throat. He wheezed more but slowed his thrashing down. I held him there until his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. I swallowed hard. Did he have the hard drive? I didn’t even know. I was just ordered to not let him get away and I obeyed.

I looked down the hallway, wondering where Reese was.

As if on cue, she walked out and towards me. She pointed at the red head curiously. I trembled and looked down. I bet he did have the hard drive. I crouched down and dug through his pockets until I found it. I stood up and showed it to her.

She nodded and took it from me to tuck it into her pocket. She reached down to grab the guy's arm and lifted him up a little. I trembled and stared at the floor. I killed a guy. He was alive. I killed him.

She dragged him back to the room we were in carefully and nodded for me to follow. I followed after her, still in shock. If I would kill a guy because I was ordered to, what else would I do?

She took him into the room and towards the window. She took off her rope and hook to tie it around him. She nodded for me to help her. I nodded and walked over to help her. I trembled as I slung the body out of the window, letting it dangle.

She checked her pocket to make sure she had the hard drive before nodding at me again. I bit my lip to keep it still. This was a mission? Why did people enjoy this so much? She gave me a confused look and gestured for me to follow her back into the hall and towards the stairwell. I followed after her obediently and held my hands tightly. So much for being a farm boy. Now I was a murderer.

We went back onto the top floor and over to the hatch to the roof. She looked up at me expectantly. I swallowed hard and reached up to open it for her. I held it open for her as she crawled through. I followed after her and let the hatch close silently.

Once it was closed, she looked at me with concerned eyes. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I-I killed him,” I told her and looked down at my trembling hands.

“Oh, that bothers you, doesn’t it?” she asked curiously.

“He was...I...” I tried to say, but just trembled a little harder.

“Odin,” she said softly. “Think of it like this, we don’t know what’s on this drive, he could have gotten information to kill thousands of people. Would you have rather killed one bad man or be responsible for killing thousands of innocent men, women and children?”

“But...he was alive and now he’s not because of me,” I told her softly, but understood why I had to do it.

“Killing him was not a bad thing to do,” she told me.

“Feels like it,” I said softly and hung my head.

“I know, but it’s not,” she told me and took a little screen out of her pocket. She pressed a button and nodded a little. “The aircraft is on it’s way for us. Do you want to talk about what happened? I’ll listen,” she offered.

“I don’t even know what to say,” I breathed and clutched my hands.

“That’s okay,” she told me softly.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself. I had to forget about it. I wouldn’t be able to act like this around the others.

“How does it bother you?” she asked curiously.

I thought about it. “Because I took someone’s life. I’m the reason that he will never walk, breath, see his family. I know none of that even phases you, so I don’t know why I’m speaking of it,” I rambled. “I know I had to do it. I was ordered to and you don’t question orders. I’m not allowed to let it bother me. I’m supposed to take orders and obey like the soldier I am,” I continued and dropped my arms to my sides. I forced myself to look up and her and swallowed hard. “I apologize, Ma’am,” I told her sternly, pushing all of my thoughts away. “Thank you for allowing me to come along with you. I will use this knowledge to better myself.”

“You’re welcome, Sir. And it’s okay, it is a lot to swallow. It took me a while to forgive myself after killing my first person,” she told me.

I nodded and looked back at the ground. She stayed quiet for a while before reaching up and ran her fingers through my hair slowly. I leaned into her hand slightly and closed my eyes to focus on that.

“I figured this might make you feel better since it makes me feel better. I’m sorry, Sir,” she told me.

“Don't be sorry,” I told her softly. “It does make me feel better.”

“Alright, Sir,” she said quietly and continued running her fingers through my hair gently.

I focused on her fingers. It was so nice. I hadn't had any affection since the bombing in Terra.

She quickly pulled away when the aircraft started to lower to hover over the roof. “Let’s go home,” she told me and ran to jump into the aircraft.

I opened my eyes and wished that it didn't have to be like this. I sighed and ran after her. I sat down in my old seat and grabbed my necklace to put back on. I messed with it instead of tucking it back in my shirt.

“How was your first mission?” she asked after a while.

“Nerve racking,” I admitted.

“They won’t all be like that,” she assured me.

“Good, I was worried that I wasn't doing much to help,” I told her and looked over.

“You helped a lot,” she told me with a reassuring smile.

I smiled back. “I'm glad I could help.”

“I hope you this gives you the opportunity to get more missions,” she continued.

“Do you think it will?” I asked curiously and looked down at my hands.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

“Do you think we'd be able to work together again?” I asked, wondering if I'd be able to see her again.

“Possibly,” she said nodding with a shrug.

“Would you like to work together again?” I asked nervously. “I promise I'll be better next time,” I said quickly and looked up at her.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding again.

I smiled big, I'd get to see her again. I felt better, despite everything.

She smiled back. “Would you like to work with me again?”

“Yes, Ma'am, of course,” I assured her.

“I’ll let Commander know that we would like to go on more missions together. You may let your Commander know as well,” she mentioned.

“Right, yes, Ma'am,” I replied. Commander Leslie was really nice, at least to me.

I leaned back in my seat. Turns out I didn't have to leave her after all.

I hid my smile as I watched our Commanders look at our mission report. This was the fifth successful mission Odin and I have gone on. It was great. I hadn’t had so many missions in such a short amount of time. I glanced over at Odin who looked like he was trying to hide his smile too.

“Very good,” my Commander approved with a slight smile. “I'm surprised what you two have managed to pull off in such a short amount of time.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

“You've been very surprising as well,” Odin’s Commander approved.

He grinned big. “Thank you, Ma'am.”

“We’ll have to find them something a little harder,” Odin’s Commander mentioned to mine.

“Yes, Ma’am, I’ll find them something,” he told her.

She turned to us. “You're dismissed,” she told us with a nod.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” I told her with nod and walked out of the room.

Odin followed me and grinned even bigger once I shut the door.

“This is awesome, I can't believe how proud they are. We even get to go on harder missions,” he said excitedly and quickly.

“Yes, Sir, it’s awesome,” I replied and smiled back.

He laughed a little. “Where are you heading now?” he asked curiously.

“I was going to go train a little before dinner,” I explained.

He nodded. “Okay, Ma'am,” he replied.

“Would you like to join me?” I asked curiously.

He perked up a little. “Yes, Ma’am.”

I smiled at him, of course he wanted to train with me. “Alright then, let's go,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said excitedly and followed me to the training floor.

“What would you like to train on?” I asked curiously.

“Up to you, I'm willing to do anything. I really need practice on everything anyways,” he mentioned with a shrug.

“What's your favorite thing to practice?” I asked.

“I like shooting the best,” he replied.

“Shooting is a good idea,” I mentioned.

“Do you enjoy it as well?” he asked with a smile.

“Yes, Sir, I am a sniper,” I told him.

“Right,” he said laughing a little. “I forgot.”

“It's alright, I haven't actually gone sniping since we attacked Terra,” I explained.

“Because if you did, you wouldn't need me to tag along,” he said and nodded.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding back and walked over to a wall to grab a gun.

He followed me and grabbed a gun as well. He examined it closely before walking over to the targets with me.

I smiled at him before aiming the gun at the target. I shot all the bullets in the pistol in the center of the target, hitting the same spot.

“Very impressive,” he praised with a smile.

“Why thank you, Sir,” I replied and smiled back at him.

He aimed his own gun at the target and shot all his bullets into it, only missing the center a few times. He shrugged and pulled out the magazine.

“Needs some work,” he commented.

“Still impressive,” I praised and held out my hand to take his magazine.

He handed it to me. “When Jason isn't trying to make me into some body builder, I practice shooting,” he explained.

“I see,” I said nodding and walked off to refill our magazines.

“Should have seen the first round I shot, you would have died from laughter,” he commented, laughing a little himself.

“Would I?” I asked laughing as well.

“Yes, Ma'am. Jason laughed for a really long time,” he explained.

“I'm sure it wasn't that bad,” I said with a shrug.

“It wasn't bad, just funny,” he explained. “Every time I shot, I'd blink and jump so I'd miss really bad. Eventually Jason left because he thought I was going to kill him.”

I laughed. “That is funny,” I replied nodding.

“See,” he said laughing.

“I'm glad you're not like that now, I'd laugh and discourage you,” I mentioned.

“I wasn't that way for too long. I think I've got it down pretty good now,” he said and gestured at his target.

“You do,” I praised.

He grinned big and perked up again. I smiled at him and held out his magazine so we could continue training. He took it and waited for me to use up my bullets before pushing the magazine back into the gun so he could shoot himself. I shot in the same spot again, grinning at the target.

“See, now I just look bad,” he told me, gesturing at my target.

“Oh, sorry, Sir,” I said and grabbed another gun. I shot again, purposely missing every time before grinning at him.

“Ha, ha,” he said sarcastically.

I laughed at him. “Now you don't look bad. At least you hit the center.”

He shook his head at me. “Now you're just being mean,” he commented.

“How am I being mean?” I asked, dropping my smile.

“I'm teasing you,” he assured me quickly with a smile.

“Oh, okay,” I said nodding and sighing with relief.

He laughed. “I'm sorry, Ma'am, I didn't mean to scare you.”

“It's okay, I'm sorry I didn't realize that you were teasing,” I told him.

“I'll try harder next time,” he told me with a smile.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and returned the smile.

“We should hang out more, not just on missions,” he mentioned.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated and smiled bigger.

“As long as you want to that is,” he mentioned.

“Yes, Sir, of course,” I replied nodding quickly.

He laughed at my eagerness and returned the smile.

“What would hanging out consist of?” I asked curiously.

“I mean, this is fine. We could also just sit around or whatever,” he mentioned with a shrug.

“Alright,” I said nodding.

“Unless you have something else in mind,” he mentioned.

“No, Sir, I don't know what else hanging out could be,” I explained.

“Anything fun,” he explained and the alarm for dinner went off.

I smiled at him. “Dinner is fun,” I mentioned.

“Dinner is fun,” he agreed with a nod and walked over to put his gun away.

I followed him to put my gun away as well before walking towards the cafeteria with him.

“Are you allowed to eat dinner with me, or do you need to eat with your section?” he asked curiously

“I'm sure I can eat with you, Sir,” I told him.

He nodded with a smile. We grabbed our trays and sat down at his table. A few of the people ignored me, but a few nodded politely. Jason grinned at me.

“Didn't chase you off I see,” he commented.

“No, Sir,” I said shaking my head and smiled back.

“Good,” he replied and started eating. Odin smiled at me before he started eating as well. I looked around, making sure that I could be here. I hoped I could, I didn't like sitting at my table. I liked sitting here. After making sure that nobody cared, I took a couple bites.

Jason and Odin started talking about a game of cards randomly.

“See, you cheated,” Jason told Odin.

“No, it's all math. You just like throwing aimless cards down,” he replied back.

“I do not just throw cards aimlessly,” he spat.

“You don't throw cards down aimlessly,” Odin said with a sigh. “You throw them down repetitively,” he said with a grin.

“I do not,” he told him shaking his head.

Odin chuckled. “Then why do I always win?”

“Because you cheat,” he replied.

“How?” he asked

“I don't know, you just do,” he told him.

“Then don't play me if you're going to get all worked up,” Odin told him with a grin.

“Fine then, I won't,” he said and stood up straight like he was proud.

“That's too bad, I thought you said you were the master at it,” Odin commented with a sigh. “Guess not.”

“Not when I play against a cheater,” he told him.

“If you were as good as you claimed, you'd be able to beat a ‘cheater’,” Odin said, making air quotes around cheater.

“Whatever,” he said scrunching his face together.

“Plus if I was cheating, you wouldn't know,” he commented with a grin and started eating again.

“I do know that you cheat,” he replied.

“I swear, it's all just math,” he said laughing.

“And you're just a cheater,” he told him.

Odin laughed and looked at me. “He's just mad because I beat his winning streak my first try.”

“I see that,” I said nodding and laughed.

He smiled at me and started eating again.

“See, you don't need to be the best at shooting, you're the best at cards,” I told him and grinned at Jason.

“I can't card someone to death though,” he mentioned and Jason scowled at me playfully.

I scowled back and turned back to Odin. “Yes, but you can annoy them.”

He laughed. “I could.”

“Looks like you already have,” I mentioned.

“It's a gift,” he said laughing and nudged me gently.

I laughed as well. “Annoying people? What a lovely gift.”

“Isn't it?” he asked with a grin.

“Very,” I said nodding.

He chuckled and finished off his plate. I watched him for a moment for some reason before going back to eating my own plate.

Jason grinned big at me, but didn't say anything. I gave him a confused look but just continued eating.

After I finished eating Odin stood up and offered to take my tray along with his.

“Thank you, Sir,” I said and handed him my tray.

“You're welcome, Ma'am,” he said politely and walked off to go clean them.

I watched him walk off and laughed a little before turning back around.

“You're very indiscrete, Ma'am,” Jason told me.

“I'm sorry?” I asked curiously.

“You keep staring,” he mentioned.

“And?” I asked.

He shrugged and grinned at me. “Why?”

“Why do I keep staring?” I asked and shrugged. “I don't know.”

“Sure,” he said nodding.

“What?” I asked laughing a little.

“Do you think he's cute or something?” he asked curiously.

I scoffed. “No, Sir,” I said shaking my head.

“Then why are you watching him walk off?” he asked curiously.

“To make sure that he's okay. I don't know,” I replied with a shrug.

“You're strange, no wonder...” he started but stopped as Odin sat back down between us.

I offered him a smile and gave Jason another confused look. He smirked and nodded at us both before standing up to walk off. Odin smiled back at me sweetly.

“Are you tired?” he asked curiously.

“A little,” I said with a shrug.

“Care to hang out on the roof for a while?” he asked curiously.

“Sure,” I replied and stood up.

He stood up as well and hesitated before heading out of the cafeteria and to the elevator. I followed and glanced up at him carefully. Did I think he was cute? He wasn’t, was he? If I thought he was cute that would just be weird. I mean, he wasn’t terrible. I never thought of his appearance like that. That was weird and wrong.

“You seem quiet,” he mentioned as he pushed the button to take us to the roof.

“Sorry, Sir,” I told him quickly.

“It's okay, are you alright?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and smiled at him.

He smiled back and ran his fingers through my hair slowly. I smiled a little bigger and leaned into his hand slightly.

“You're such a good person, you know that right?” he asked softly.

“Am I?” I asked curiously.

“Of course,” he told me with a nod.

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied and smiled.

“You're very welcome, Ma'am,” he told me, returning the smile.

I chuckled and closed my eyes to focus on his fingers. He kept doing it until the elevator made a sound and the doors opened. I pulled away to walk out of the elevator and over to the railing. He followed after me and walked over to the railing as well. He stood beside me and smiled.

“You’re very smiley,” I commented smiling back at him.

“It seems to make you smile more, Ma'am,” he commented back and looked over at me.

I nodded and looked out over the desert.

“It's always so peaceful up here,” he commented after a while.

“Yes, Sir, I used to come up here all the time,” I replied.

“I enjoy being up here, sort of reminds me of home,” he commented.

“Because it’s peaceful?” I asked looking up at him.

“Yes, Ma'am, and because of how simple everything is,” he told me.

“It’s definitely not a city,” I commented.

“No, Ma'am, it isn't,” he replied.

“I’m glad it’s not a city, I would not want to live in a city,” I told him.

“I used to think that's what I wanted,” he told me softly.

“I’ve never liked the city, it’s too cramped,” I explained.

“I never knew how cramped it was. It's gorgeous none the less, just too many people,” he commented. “All I knew was I didn't have it, so I wanted it. I was willing to forget everything and pursue what I wanted. However, my life has played out a lot differently.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get what you wanted,” I told him.

He shook his head. “Don't be, if I needed it I would have had it. I have something different now. This is what I needed.”

“Soldier skills are very important,” I agreed with a nod. “A lot of people just think we’re a bunch of robots or something, then we blow them up,” I added shrugging. “Then they don’t think that.”

“I never thought you guys were robots. I just thought you were going to kill me,” he replied.

“People think that too,” I said nodding.

He laughed a little. “I sort of had a reason to think that.”

“Yes, Sir, you did,” I replied and laughed as well.

“Fortunately, I don't have to think that way anymore. I realized how much happier I am here and what kind of life I'll be able to live out,” he told me and ran his fingers through my hair again. “Even if it's not the way I want it to be.”

“How do you want it to be?” I asked curiously.

“Doesn't matter, it'll never happen. I just appreciate what I have,” he replied.

“Alright, Sir,” I said nodding and gazed over the railing.

“I have Jason and you,” he said softly. “My Commander as well.”

“I’m glad you enjoy being here,” I replied.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said softly.

“You are enjoying it, correct? You’re not just saying that?” I asked curiously.

“I wouldn't lie to you, Ma'am,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“I'm glad you agreed to spend more time with me,” he commented. “I was worried you'd just be tired of seeing me.”

“Of course not, Sir, I like hanging out with you,” I told him.

“I'm glad, sorry I rambled so much the last time we were up here,” he told me.

“It’s alright, I find it interesting when you ramble,” I mentioned.

“How so?” he asked curiously.

“You’re the only person who does and I like hearing those long string of thoughts. Let’s me know what you’re really thinking,” I explained.

He laughed a little. “I only do it when I get nervous or embarrassed.”

“Were you nervous or embarrassed on the roof last time?” I asked.

“Nervous,” he replied. “Then embarrassed, that's why I left.”

“Why were you nervous? Is it because we were talking about your first mission?” I asked.

“No, Ma'am,” he replied.

“Oh, why were you nervous?” I asked curiously.

He pulled his hand away and started messing with his necklace. “Sometimes it's you that makes me nervous.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sir,” I told him quickly.

“No, it's nothing you have to be sorry about,” he assured me quickly.

“Yes, Sir,” I said softly.

“I just think too much, it messes with me,” he told me quietly.

“I’m sorry,” I told him and quickly shook my head. “I won’t be sorry. I apologize for saying that,” I said quickly.

He laughed and tucked his necklace back in his shirt. “This is stupid,” he commented and looked out over the desert. “I don't even know why I keep dragging you up here.”

“Do you not want me to be up here? I can leave, it’s okay,” I offered and started to walk back to the elevator.

“No, no, don't leave,” he said quickly and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Yes, Sir,” I said and stopped walking.

“I'm sorry,” he told me.

“Why? Because you don’t want me to leave? It’s okay,” I assured him.

“No, I'm sorry that I'm making a big deal over nothing,” he explained.

“It’s okay,” I told him again and offered a smile.

He smiled a little, but let go of me and looked down.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

He shrugged and stayed quiet.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” I told him quietly.

“You didn't upset me,” he promised softly.

“Then why are you sad?” I asked.

“Not sad, disappointed,” he replied.

“Did I disappoint you?” I asked confused.

“I disappointed myself, I got my hopes up for nothing,” he told me softly.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” I told him, not having anything else to say.

He nodded. “Me too,” he replied and stared at the ground.

I looked at him in confusion. What happened? Did I do something wrong? Did I say the wrong things?

He stayed quiet and ran his fingers through his hair before sighing. He looked out over the desert again. I watched him carefully, trying to figure out what was wrong. I played with a piece of my hair and bit my lip a little.

“I'm sorry,” he told me after a long time.

“For what?” I asked curiously.

“Acting like this, thinking like this. It's wrong,” he told me. “I know it is, but I can't push it away like I should be able to.”

“Push what away?” I asked.

“Thoughts,” he told me simply.

I sighed a little. I guess he didn’t want me to help him. I couldn’t if he wouldn’t tell me anything.

“What would you do if you wanted something, but couldn't have it?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know, depends on how much I wanted it. If I didn’t want it that bad then I’d get over it. But if I really wanted it and needed it then I would try to have it,” I explained.

He nodded and swallowed hard.

“What is it that you want? Are you still trying to get that pencil and paper? Because I’m sure your Commander will let you have it now that she knows that she can trust you,” I mentioned.

He laughed and shook his head. “No, Ma'am, that's not what I want. I can't have what I want I don't believe.”

“How bad do you want said thing?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I mean, I've tried to push it away, but it comes back. So I assume pretty badly.”

“Why can’t you have it?” I asked.

“It's not allowed,” he replied.

“If it’s something small then maybe you could ask your Commander for her to have an exception for you,” I offered.

He glanced over at me. “You,” he said simply.

“What?” I asked.

He hesitated and swallowed hard again. “It's you,” he explained.

“Oh, I mean, I’m right here. I can hang out with you more if you want. I was going to do that anyway,” I told him with a shrug.

He shook his head. “Not what I mean.”

I hesitated and realized what he meant. “Oh,” I said quietly.

He bit his lip and looked down.

My mind raced. So he did like me. Jax was right and Jason even hinted at it. He couldn’t like me though. At least not like that. Did I like him? He was nice to me and I thought about him a lot. I quickly stopped thinking about it. I wasn’t allowed to think like that. I could get in serious trouble. I glanced up at him. He was really nice. I sighed at myself. I needed to stop.

“I suppose I've made a fool of myself yet again,” he said softly.

“No, Sir,” I replied and shook my head quickly.

He looked up at me curiously.

“You didn’t make a fool of yourself,” I assured him.

“You didn't say anything though,” he mentioned.

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted and looked at the ground.

“Do you feel the same way?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I don’t know how that’s supposed to feel.”

He hesitated, but reached out to grab my hand. I tensed up a little but let him hold it. He squeezed it tightly, then just held it.

I stared down at our hands then looked up at him in confusion. Was I supposed to enjoy this? This was weird.

He pulled his hand away. “Nevermind,” he said quietly and looked down at the ground.

“I’m sorry I don’t understand. I wish I did, I really do,” I told him quickly.

“I knew this would happen, but I told you anyways,” he said quietly and rubbed his arm.

Now he was sad again. “I’m sorry, I just don’t know how to feel. I like you, you’re really nice and I think about you a lot. I don’t know what that means though. Is that feeling the same way?”

He nodded and looked up at me sheepishly.

“I just don’t understand the whole affection thing. It’s weird to me. I don’t know if I like it. I’ve had a lot of experiences of bad affection and I’ve always been told not to touch someone unless you’re fighting them or if it’s appropriate,” I rambled.

“I know, that's why I didn't really want to tell you,” he explained. “Plus I didn't really think you liked me back.”

“I guess I do, I don’t understand that either,” I said and sighed at myself. “I’m sorry,” I told him and scratched the back of my neck.

“You're just a good soldier is all,” he told me. “You do what you're told, that's why you don't understand, they didn't want you to.”

“Now you want to be with me. Should I be a good soldier to you? Do as you want too?” I asked.

“No, that's not right. That's like what Jax did,” he explained softly and shook his head.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and rubbed my stomach at the memory.

“I won't ever do that to you,” he told me softly. “Even if you do want to be with me. I wouldn't hurt you like that.”

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated and smiled up at him carefully.

He smiled back at me sweetly.

“I wouldn’t hurt you either,” I replied.

He nodded and smiled a little bigger, he sighed slightly. “You're so sweet and I just want to hold you, but you don't like that.”

“You can hold me if you’d like,” I told him.

“Really?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, I think so,” I said nodding and scratched the back of my neck again.

He hesitated, but held out his hand to me. I looked down at it and carefully grabbed his hand. He smiled big and squeezed my hand a little. I laughed nervously and hesitated before squeezing his hand back. Was I even doing this right? It seemed so simple but it was weird.

He laughed a little with me and held out his other hand. I hesitated again but grabbed his other hand. Why were we holding hands?

He smiled at me. “I'm sorry you're so confused. You can ask whatever you need to ask,” he offered.

“Why are we holding hands?” I asked and laughed at myself.

He smiled and rubbed his thumb across my knuckles. “It's a way to show affection, a way to hold someone without completely holding one another.”

I nodded and looked down at our hands. This was affection? “Alright,” I replied softly.

“It's one way to show it, there are others,” he told me.

“Oh, okay,” I said nodding.

“I figured we'd start off slow,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

He smiled. “As long as you want this of course.”

“What does ‘this’ consist of?” I asked looking up at him.

“Well, a lot of hiding for one. Since this isn't allowed, we can't be public about it,” he told me.

I looked back down. I’d have to break the rules. I had never done that before. Did I want to do that for this? I didn’t even know what this was. “Okay,” I said nodding a little.

“So, it's sort of like, well, you care about me right?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with another nod.

“It's like you'll care about me more now,” he explained. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, so it’s like a really good friend?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “We would just touch a lot more,” he explained slowly.

“Alright,” I said carefully and ignored all my other experiences with touching. He said he wouldn’t do that.

“I promise I'll explain everything slowly,” he told me with a sweet smile. “It's all new to you.”

“So it’ll be like when I trained you how to fight? Taking it slow, I mean,” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he told me with a nod.

“I think I can do that,” I said nodding back and looked down.

“Are you sure? This is all your decision,” he assured me.

“Yes, Sir, I just...don’t want to disappoint,” I admitted.

He smiled at me, tilting my head up so I would look at him. “You haven't disappointed me and you never will.”

“What if I don’t want to do something that you do?” I asked.

“That's fine,” he promised. “Just tell me.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He squeezed my hands again. “Is this alright?”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and smiled a little.

He smiled back. “Good.”

I sighed nervously a little and looked back down.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I assured him quickly.

“Why won't you look at me then?” he asked.

“Oh, sorry, Sir,” I said and looked back up at him quickly.

He smiled and let go of one hand to run his fingers through my hair. I smiled back and closed my eyes.

“You like that,” he mentioned.

I nodded a little and kept my eyes closed.

“This is affection,” he pointed out.

“Is it?” I asked quietly.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he told me.

I nodded again and leaned into his hand. He kept playing with my hair and stepped a little closer to me. I hesitated and squeezed his hand a little. That seemed like something I had to do. He laughed a little.

“You're so sweet,” he told me softly.

“Am I?” I asked and opened my eyes to look at him.

He nodded. “Very pretty too.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied. Why was he saying all these things? Was that a way to show affection? To compliment me?

He smiled. “I'm glad I told you.”

“Good,” I said nodding and squeezed his hand again awkwardly.

“Just relax, you won't do anything wrong,” he promised.

I nodded again and laughed nervously but forced myself to relax a little.

“There we go,” he praised. “I promise everything will be okay.”

I smiled big as Jason dealt out cards to me.

“I’m going to beat you this time,” he told me, sounding determined.

“Yeah, yeah,” I told him, laughing. I was still giddy about everything. It had been a week since I told Reese how I felt and it was probably the best thing I had ever done. I felt so happy and relaxed.

“Yeah, yeah,” he mocked.

I grabbed my cards and examined them. Easy. Almost too easy. I smirked up at him.

He glanced up at me. “You’re going to cheat again, aren’t you?” he asked narrowing his eyes at me.

“I'm going to win,” I replied.

“By cheating,” he mumbled and looked back down at his cards.

I laughed and thought about Reese again.

“Your turn,” he told me after laying down three of his cards that matched.

I laid down two sets of mine.

He sighed and picked up three new cards to examine. I grabbed my new cards and set down another two sets. He sighed again in frustration and laid down his whole stack, none of them matching. I grinned and set down my stack, finding another match.

He grumbled under his breath as he collected all the cards and shuffled them.

I laughed a little and looked around. She should be meeting up with me for lunch soon enough.

“What are you looking for?” he asked curiously.

“Reese is meeting us here today,” I explained.

“I see,” he said nodding and chuckled a little.

“What?” I asked, laughing as well.

“Nothing,” he said shaking his head.

“You're full of it,” I told him.

“I know,” he said and grinned proudly.

I sighed and shook my head. I wondered if he knew. If he knew he probably wouldn't be laughing and grinning.

He grinned a little bit more as Reese sat beside me. I smiled over at her.

“Hey,” I greeted, wanting to hold her hand again.

“Hey,” she replied with a smile and glanced over at Jason to smile at him as well.

He grinned and shook his head, starting to shuffle the cards again.

“Were you guys playing that game again?” she asked curiously.

“No, he was losing that game again,” I commented with a chuckle. I leaned against the table slightly and offered her my hand under it.

“Makes sense,” she teased Jason and grabbed my hand carefully as she started eating with the other.

I smiled and stuck my tongue out at him.

“Rude,” he commented and raised an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged. “Come on, let's go again,” I told him.

“So you can cheat again? Sure,” he said nodding and dealt the cards back out.

“How can I cheat if you're dealing the cards?” I asked curiously and grabbed my cards with my free hand.

“I don’t know, I’m sure you found a way to though,” he told me.

I laughed and set down a pair.

“See, there is no way,” he mentioned.

I shrugged and let go of Reese’s hand to grab two more cards. I examined them and set down another pair. He put down two pairs and grabbed some more cards. I grabbed a few cards and grinned at him.

“Ready for this?” I asked curiously.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “No.”

I grinned and laid down three cards. “Too bad, I did it anyways.”

He groaned and threw his cards down. “I don’t want to play with a cheater anymore,” he grumbled as he collected all the cards.

“Sore loser,” I told him and offered Reese my hand again.

“At least I’m not a cheater,” he told me as Reese took my hand again.

I shrugged. “I'd still beat you if you cheated,” I teased.

“Being a better cheater than someone is not something to be proud of,” he told me.

“It's sad that you just call me a cheater because I'm better,” I told him.

He mocked me under his breath and stuffed his cards back into his pocket. I laughed and squeezed Reese’s hand slightly. I felt her hesitate before running her thumb across my knuckles carefully. I sighed happily, trying not to grin big.

“What are you doing after lunch?” I asked Jason.

“Training,” he replied simply. “I don’t suppose I have to ask what you’re doing after lunch.”

“If you're going to be that way,” I commented. “I actually don't have plans, thank you.”

“Sure you don’t. I’m sure you’ll make some real quick then,” he commented raising an eyebrow.

“Is that a bad thing?" I asked curiously.

“Depends on your plans,” he replied and glanced over at Reese then back at me.

I hesitated and let go of her hand. “I'm training as well,” I told him.

“Are you? I’d love to start training with you again,” he mentioned with a smile.

“Sure,” I replied.

He nodded and finished eating with a grin. I finished eating as well, wondering why he hadn't told anyone. He obviously knew.

“Do you want to come now or just meet me in the training area?” he asked after he was done.

“I'll meet you there,” I told him after swallowing.

“Got it,” he said with a nod and stood up to walk off.

“He knows,” I commented. Everyone else was further down the table. The people who sat around us were gone already.

“I know,” she commented back and looked around carefully.

“Do you think he'd blurt that out?” I asked carefully, looking over at her.

“No, Sir, if he hasn’t already then he probably won’t,” she told me.

I nodded and stood up. “I'll see you later, Ma'am.”

“Yes, Sir, have a good training,” she replied and smiled up at me before she continued eating.

I smiled back and walked out of the cafeteria after I cleaned off my tray. I fiddled with my necklace as I walked towards the training floor.

Jason was already stretching in the middle of the floor, facing away from me. I strolled over and sat down across from him to stretch.

“We’re weightlifting today,” he told me as he stretched.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied, trying not to think of Jax.

After he was done stretching, he walked over to the weightlifting bench and started setting the weights on the ends of the bar.

I followed him and stretched out my arms, wondering if he was going to make me lift all that.

He waited until I was done stretching before pointing at the bench. “Try to lift that,” he ordered.

“How did I know you were going to do that to me?” I asked and walked over to lay down. “I can't gain muscle like you, I hope you know that,” I told him.

“Try to lift it,” he told me again.

I sighed. Hard head. I laid down and wrapped my hands around the bar before lifting it off of the rack. I looked up at him.

“I can lift it,” I told him and felt my arms tremble ever so slightly.

“Keep lifting,” he told me.

“Just hold it straight up?” I asked slowly.

“Lift it up and down,” he explained.

“Yes, Sir,” I breathed and started lifting it slowly. I wondered how much he had put on. It was really heavy. If I complained, he'd make me do it longer. I didn't need to do this any longer than I had to. I breathed out as I lifted up, shaking ever so slightly.

“Is that hard to lift?” he asked.

“Mildly,” I told him, knowing if I lied, he just make me do it more.

“How hard?” he asked.

“It's harder than you usually make me do,” I replied.

“Would you like me to take some off?” he asked curiously.

“No, Sir,” I told him and swallowed hard.

“Alright,” he said with a nod and watched me lift the weights.

I closed my eyes so I could focus a little better. “How many sets?” I asked after a while.

“Two sets of ten for now,” he replied.

I nodded and did two more before setting the bar back up. I let out a slow breath and laid there for a second before sitting up.

He walked over to switch out some of the weights on the bars. “Stretch some more before continuing,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and stood up to stretch out my arms.

“Then do five sets of ten,” he continued.

“Five,” I said and nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“After you’re done, make sure to stretch before doing the same thing. Repeat it five times. I have to go speak with Commander about a mission,” he told me.

I hesitated. “A mission?” I asked curiously. I hoped he wasn't about to tell Commander about Reese and me. They'd execute me.

“Yes, Sir, I was given a mission a week ago but no information on it so I haven’t been able to fulfill it,” he explained.

“I see,” I said nodding and laid back down.

“If I come back to see you slacking, I’ll make you lift the heaviest weights until dinner,” he threatened.

“Yes, Sir,” I told him obediently.

He nodded before walking out of the room towards the elevator.

I was nervous, I didn't think he was lying, but I was still worried. I grabbed the bar and started lifting again. I didn't think he hated me enough to get me killed, but I was still anxious.

Before I could finish my set, Jason came back in and walked over to me.

“Commander would like to see you,” he told me. “You can continue your set after she talks to you.”

I set the bar back up and sat up, acting normal. On the inside I was panicking. He did say something. They were going to separate us, or kill me.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied obediently and stood up to walk towards Commander Leslie’s office.

“Good afternoon, Odin,” she greeted as I walked in. She was reading over a piece of paper on her desk. “Please, have a seat.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and sat down, sitting up straight.

“How are you?” she asked curiously and looked up from the paper.

“Good, how are you?” I asked politely.

“A little distressed but good,” she said nodding.

“Distressed, Ma'am?” I asked curiously.

“Do you remember your first mission where you were to retrieve a hard drive from Seemer?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied, relieved that this wasn't about Reese and me.

“Well, we got into the hard drive and found the information on it,” she explained.

“How does this lead to being distressed?” I asked curiously.

“It was information about us, all of our secret military information. Giving away our locations,” she explained. “We believe that this hard drive was supposed to be given to the Terran authorities for an attack.”

I nodded. “They don't have the information now though,” I offered. “Granted if they were smart enough there would be more than one copy.”

“That’s what we’re worried about. I would like you to find this copy if there is one. If and when you do, I will send Jason to go get it,” she told me. “You two seem to work very well with each other and I need you to get this done.”

“Where would I even look?” I asked her.

“How much do you know Terra? Where their main cities are and where their main buildings in those cities are?” she asked curiously.

“I know the entire area, I grew up there, Ma'am,” I told her.

“Then you will search that area. Track everything that has been shipped there. I’m not sending you to Terra though, you’ll be using a computer,” she explained.

“Computer?” I asked slowly.

“Yes, Sir, is that a problem?” she asked.

“No, Ma'am, of course not,” I assured her.

“Alright, if you need any assistance just let me know,” she told me.

“May I seek assistance?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

“Then I will not disappoint you,” I told her and stood up at attention.

“I will have someone else search Opes in case it hasn’t left the country yet,” she commented.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied with a nod.

“I’ll just need someone who knows every part of Opes,” she continued to herself and started reading over the paper again.

“I wish I could be of assistance, I don't have much knowledge of Opes,” I told her.

“I understand, you are dismissed,” she told me without looking up.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied obediently and turned to walk out the door.

I walked down the hallway and wondered why people inside of their own country were betraying them. Maybe it was Terrans that had come over to figure everything out. How did they even get that sort of information? Probably off of a computer, whatever that was.

I walked back to the training floor, still thinking over everything.

“How did it go?” Jason asked curiously as he punched a dummy.

“Good, better than I was expecting,” I told him, laughing nervously.

“Why is that?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I just had a bad feeling, I don't know why. Just a stupid thought,” I told him and walked over to the weight bench to lay back down.

“Stupid thought?” he asked and walked over to me.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and lifted up the bar to continue with my sets.

“I see,” he said nodding as he watched me.

I closed my eyes to focus and felt better knowing that he wasn't going to say anything. I don't know why I thought he ever would. He was a good guy.

“You accepted the mission, correct?” he asked after a while.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

“We can get started on that after dinner. I’ll help you operate everything,” he offered.

“Good, I was worried about all that. What's a computer, by the way?” I asked curiously opening my eyes.

“A machine that can give you access to just about everything in the world if you know how to use it right,” he explained.

“Really?” I asked excitedly. “That sounds incredible.”

“Really,” he said with a nod.

I nodded and set the bar back up. “That's really cool.”

“I guess I’ll have to help you a lot with the computer,” he said sighing.

I shrugged and laughed nervously. “Sorry,” I told him.

“It’s fine, I might just end up doing it for you,” he replied and laughed at me.

“Is it that hard to understand?” I asked curiously and stretched out my arms.

“No but you and technology don’t mix at all,” he told me.

“Well, when you come from the middle of nowhere,” I said with a shrug.

“Well,” he replied shrugging back and smiled. “Farm boy,” he teased.

“Hey,” I told him with a scowl.

“Hey,” he said and waved at me.

“Where did you even hear that from?” I grumbled, only Jax had ever called me that.

“I heard some guy calling you that when you first got here,” he explained.

I sighed. “Yeah, he was great.”

“Then he got shot,” he said and laughed.

“Yeah,” I said nodding and recalled the whole incident.

“He got shot by your girl,” he continued and grinned at me.

“Not my girl,” I replied and grabbed the bar again.

“Really?” he asked raising an eyebrow at me.

I looked at him and didn't say anything.

He shook his head at me. “I’m not as dumb as you think, especially when you can’t keep your eyes off of her,” he told me.

“I know,” I replied and started lifting again.

“You know that’s against the rules, right? That’s like the biggest rule,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir. I am aware,” I replied.

“Just making sure, so don’t be stupid about it,” he told me sternly.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and looked at him. “I assume you won't say anything.”

“Not if you’re smart about it,” he replied.

“I'm smart,” I promised. “Just not soldier smart, that's why I've gotten myself into this.”

“Exactly,” he said nodding.

“What do you suggest then?” I asked curiously.

“You can do whatever as long as you are smart about it. I'd just get as far away as possible,” he told me.

I nodded and continued lifting. “Yes, Sir.”

“But you're not going to listen to me, are you?” he asked.

“I can listen,” I told him.

“But you're not going to do it, are you?” he asked.

“You said, I can do whatever I want as long as I'm smart about it,” I told him.

“But I have a feeling you're not going to be smart about it,” he replied.

“I will be,” I assured him.

“If you were really smart then you'd leave her,” he told me.

“Too late now,” I told him. “I tried to ignore it, I really did. I can't think like you guys.”

He sighed. “Alright,” he said shaking his head.

“I know they'll kill me if they find out,” I told him.

“They'll kill both of you,” he replied.

“Both of us?” I asked and set the bar back up to sit up.

“Yeah, it's a two way thing,” he said nodding.

I looked down at the ground. I didn't want her to be killed.

“That changes things, doesn't it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I replied and looked at my hands.

“I see,” he replied.

“Well, now what am I supposed to do?” I asked him.

“You can do whatever. Obviously she knows that she could die and she seems okay with it,” he told me.

“I'm not okay with losing her though,” I told him and looked up.

“You wouldn't lose her. You'd both die together,” he replied and laughed a little. “How romantic.”

I shook my head and looked down again. “That sucks.”

“Well,” he said with a shrug.

“Why is it like that?” I asked. “It doesn't distract me from missions or training.”

“Because if you guys get close and if you get sent on a dangerous mission, then she wouldn't want you to get hurt. Same thing if she goes on a dangerous mission,” he explained. “It'll keep you from getting stuff done.”

“But we know that either of us could get hurt on missions, it's our job,” I told him.

“Yes, but you don't want her to get hurt, right?” he asked.

“Right,” I replied.

“What if she got really hurt on a mission?” he asked.

“Then she'd be hurt,” I told him with a shrug. “It's part of the job.”

“And what if she died?” he asked.

“Still part of our job,” I replied, even though I'd be heartbroken to lose her.

He scoffed. “If you feel that way then you probably don't even care about her,” he mentioned.

“I do care, I'm just...” I tried to say but gave up. “I'm not allowed to, so it's hard.”

“Well, what are you going to do?” he asked curiously.

“I don't know,” I said softly.

“Better figure it out,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

Before he could respond, the alarm for dinner went off. I looked up at him before standing up. What was I supposed to do? I'd have to talk to her. I didn't want to lose her, but either way I would.

I sighed and trudged down the hallway to dinner.

I walked out of Commander's office from our discussion. I smiled big. I would be able to be a commander tomorrow. I'd be eighteen. This week was going great. I had Odin, I could be commander.

I added a little skip to my step on my way to the cafeteria. I wondered how Odin would react to me becoming commander. I'm not sure how much I'd be able to see him then.

My smiled faded slightly. It'd be okay though. We'd figure it out. I nodded and headed over to our table with my tray.

“Hey,” I greeted Odin and Jason with a huge smile.

He smiled up at me, then looked back down at his tray.

“You okay, Sir?” I asked carefully.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said quietly and pushed his food around.

“Alright,” I said nodding and dropped my smile. He probably didn't want to hear my news right now. I looked down to start eating slowly.

He didn't say anything during dinner. Jason tried to talk to him, but he didn't really say much. I looked up at Jason curiously. He stayed quiet and just started eating.

I looked between him and Odin. Did I do something wrong? What happened? Did he already know that I'd be Commander soon? I bit my lip and looked down, suddenly not hungry.

“Do you want to go hang out?” Odin asked softly after a while.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

He stood up and walked off, dumping his full tray into the trash. I hesitated but followed after him, throwing away my tray as well.

He stayed quiet as he walked into the elevator. He didn't grab my hand like he usually did.

“Are...are you sure you're okay?” I asked softly without looking up at him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied quietly.

“Did I do something?” I asked.

He shook his head and offered me his hand. I took it carefully.

“Okay, Sir,” I replied.

He led me out onto the roof, holding my hand tightly. He stopped walking and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I jumped a little but let him hold me. Was this a type of affection? I think it is. He nuzzled his face into the side of my head and trembled slightly. I hesitated but wrapped my arms around him carefully. He held me tightly without saying anything for a long time.

“Am I doing this right?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he breathed.

“Alright, just making sure,” I said softly and held him a little tighter.

He squeezed me tighter and leaned against me slightly.

“Odin?” I asked softly.

“Yes, Ma’am?” he asked softly.

“I have something to tell you,” I started, hoping it’d make him feel better.

“I do too,” he told me quietly.

“You go first,” I told him.

He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to say it.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“What do you have to say?” he asked me.

“No, what is it?” I asked and pulled away enough to look up at him.

He didn’t say anything, just shook his head.

“Odin, please tell me,” I begged softly.

“I don’t want to,” he told me.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because it’s bad, I don’t want to think about it,” he told me quietly.

“It’ll be okay, we’ll figure it out whatever it is,” I assured him.

He nodded and nuzzled back up against me.

“What is it?” I asked softly.

“I don't what to talk about it just yet,” he told me.

“Odin,” I pried.

He pulled away from me completely. “I didn't know they'd kill you too if they found out.”

“Did you think you’d be the only one at fault?” I asked softly.

“Yeah,” he said nodding. “I didn't realize I was risking your life as well.”

“You’re not risking my life, I’m risking my own,” I told him.

“I don't like that,” he told me. “It's my fault for telling you, I don't want you to risk your life.”

“It’s okay, I’m okay with risking my life. It’ll be okay,” I promised.

“But what if it isn't? I could lose you,” he asked softly and held his hands.

“I’d lose you too,” I told him.

He looked down at the floor and stayed quiet.

“Do you not want to do this anymore?” I asked quietly, not wanting to hear his answer. I was just starting to understand this whole thing.

“I do,” he said softly. “I'm just worried.”

“Okay,” I sighed with relief.

“I'm sorry,” he told me softly. “I didn't mean to worry you.”

“It’s okay,” I assured him. He held out his hands. I grabbed them and offered a smile. He smiled at me a little.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He smiled a little bigger and squeezed my hands.

“I assume you want to too,” I mentioned.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Alright then,” I said returning the nod.

He smiled at me a little and reached up to run his fingers through my hair. I smiled back big and closed my eyes. 

“Can I try something?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding a little.

“Here, sit down,” he said and let go of me.

I opened my eyes and sat down like he told me to. He sat down behind me and pulled my hair out of it’s hairbow. He ran his fingers through it carefully.

“What are you trying?” I asked curiously.

“You’ll see,” he replied and started moving pieces of my hair around.

“Yes, Sir,” I said and stayed still for him.

He moved my hair around before I felt him start to weave it at the top of my neck and around to the top of my head.

“What are you doing?” I asked curiously.

“Braiding your hair,” he replied.

“You’re doing what to my hair?” I asked confused.

“Braiding,” he said again and pulled his hands out of my hair. “Done.”

I hesitated but reached up to touch my hair gently. I could feel that it was woven around. “Oh, alright,” I said softly.

“It's just different,” he told me. “It looks like a crown woven around your head.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I told him and looked over my shoulder to smile at him.

He smiled back. “No problem, I used to do it for my sister.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am. My mother taught me,” he explained.

“That’s cool, I didn’t even know what a braid was,” I said quietly and looked down.

“I probably wouldn't have either, I grew up with all women so that helped,” he told me.

“How would that help you?” I asked.

“Girls like to do their hair,” he said with a shrug. “Some girls.”

“Couldn’t guys like to do their hair too?” I asked curiously.

“I don't really have much to work with,” he explained and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Then grow your hair out,” I mentioned.

“Then I'd look girly,” he told me.

“Would you?” I asked.

“Yeah, girls tend to have long hair and boys tend to have short. It can be the opposite way, I just prefer mine to stay short,” he told me.

“Oh, alright,” I said nodding, not sure why the length of someone’s hair had anything to do with gender.

“I just like it this way,” he replied.

“Alright, then you don't have to grow it out,” I told him with a shrug.

“I won't,” he told me and admired my hair.

I smiled a little and reached out to play with a piece of his hair carefully.

“It's all short and you can't do pretty things to it,” he commented.

“You can do pretty things with my hair if you want,” I offered.

He nodded and reached out to undo what he had done. He let my hair fall down before he started weaving something else.

I turned back around so it'd be easier for him and stared straight ahead. He weaved it down my back and placed it over my shoulder so I could see it.

“That's a simple braid,” he explained.

I looked down to examine and smiled. “It's pretty,” I commented.

“I've got something else too,” he offered and pulled it back. He unweaved it before starting again. “Fishtail braid,” he claimed and set it over my shoulder again.

I looked at this one and smiled bigger. “I like that one,” I told him.

“It's a little more intricate,” he told me.

“Looks like it,” I agreed with a nod.

“Anastasia taught me that one,” he told me quietly.

“Who?” I asked curiously.

He stayed quiet for a moment. “My sister.”

I nodded and ran my fingers over the intricate pattern. “I'm glad she did,” I told him softly.

“Me too,” he said softly.

“I'm sorry, Sir,” I told him.

“It's okay,” he promised and ran his fingers across the braid. “I have a question.”

“Yes, Sir?” I asked.

“Why were you so horrible to me the first day I was here? Were you just trying to make me feel bad or,” he asked.

“Yes, Sir, I didn't think you belonged here,” I explained.

He nodded. “I figured.”

“I'm sorry, Sir, I won't treat you like that again,” I promised.

“It's okay, I was just wondering,” he explained. “You did a pretty good job.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied.

He laughed a little and reached around me to hold my hands.

“Was that funny?” I asked curiously, laughing as well.

“A little,” he said nodding and squeezed my hands.

“How so?” I asked.

“I asked if you wanted to make me feel like dirt and you said yes. Then I told you that you did a good job and you thanked me. It was just a funny situation,” he replied.

“Oh, okay,” I said nodding and laughed again.

He laid his head against my back. “What were you going to carve into me? You never answered me before.”

I hesitated. “It doesn't matter now, I would never do that to you,” I told him softly.

“I want to know anyways,” he told me.

I sighed a little. “I was going to carve the Terran symbol,” I explained.

He nodded. “That's very intricate.”

“Exactly,” I said chuckling.

He nuzzled against me more. “I'm glad I had my necklace.”

“Me too,” I agreed. “Well, now I am,” I corrected myself.

“I would have hated to be branded. I suppose you wouldn't have liked me after all that,” he commented softly.

“Why is that?” I asked curiously.

“Because it would have hurt for one and two I would have felt like some sort of farm animal being branded like that,” he commented.

“So you wouldn't have liked me?” I asked.

“I don't know, probably not as quickly as I did. I'm very drawn to you, I sort of always was,” he told me.

“Really?” I asked.

“Really what? Liking you less because you carved a branding into my chest or being drawn to you?” he asked.

“Being drawn to me,” I explained. “I actually understand you liking me less because I carved a branding into you, believe it or not,” I tried to joke.

He laughed a little. “Glad you got that. Yeah, you've always been fierce and gorgeous. Granted you terrified me for the longest time.”

“Good, I like terrifying people,” I told him with a grin and laughed.

“You're pretty good at it,” he told me and kissed my back lightly.

I tensed up a little but didn't pull away. “Thank you, Sir,” I told him. “That is something to thank you for, correct?”

“If you want,” he replied and rubbed his thumb over where he had kissed. “Do you not like that?”

“I do, Sir, I'm sorry, it's just new,” I explained softly.

“It's okay,” he promised. “I just wanted to make sure it was okay.”

“It is,” I promised.

He nodded and laid his head against my back again.

“I didn't get to tell you what I had to say,” I commented.

“Right,” he commented.

“Would you still like to know?” I asked.

“Of course,” he told me nodding.

“I'll be eligible to be Commander tomorrow,” I told him and smiled big.

“Awesome,” he approved happily. “I suppose you'll have to wait to gain the position though.”

“Yes, Sir, I'll have to gain the general's approval then there will be some paperwork,” I explained.

“Won't you have to wait for the Commander of section C to give up the position?” he asked curiously.

“Not unless he gives me the position, which I believe he will,” I told him.

“Alright,” he said quietly and leaned against me more.

“What?” I asked softly.

“Nothing, I'm really proud of you, Ma'am,” he assured me.

“Okay,” I said nodding and leaned back into him carefully.

He held me tightly without saying anything for a long time. Every now and then he'd kiss my back softly.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly after a while.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he told me quietly.

“You seem off,” I commented and pulled away to turn around and look at him.

“Do I?” he asked softly and reached for me again.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

“I'm sorry,” he told me quietly and swallowed hard.

“It's okay, I just want to make sure you're okay,” I explained and scooted closer to him carefully.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly like it had been weeks since we had seen each other. “Yes, Ma'am,” he replied obediently.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him as well. “You don't want me to be Commander, do you?” I asked softly after a while.

“Of course I do, you've worked so hard for it. You deserve it,” he told me.

“Then why are you acting weird? You've been off since I told you,” I mentioned.

“I just don't know how often I'll see you,” he admitted softly and clutched me tighter.

“If that's an issue then I don't have to be Commander. I can be a foot soldier,” I offered.

He pulled away slightly to shake his head. “I wouldn't do that to you,” he told me. “That's selfish.”

“What if I chose you instead of being Commander?” I asked.

“Don't,” he told me. “You've wanted this your entire life.”

“What if I want to be with you more?” I asked.

“We’ll find a way to see each other,” he promised.

“It'd be harder to hide, I'd have security with me almost all the time and I've be giving soldiers missions and regulating an entire section,” I told him. “There would be very little time if any at all.”

He nodded and looked at the floor. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“I can choose you over being Commander,” I told him softly.

“I really don't want you to throw everything away for me,” he told me.

“It'll be okay,” I promised and hesitated. Why was I going to throw all of my work away? I would never do that with anyone. I've wanted this my whole life and now I finally could. But I couldn't leave him, that wouldn't be fair to him.

“Are you sure?” he asked slowly. “You don't have to.”

“Of course, Sir,” I replied and nodded a little.

He nodded and smiled a little. “I suppose that means I won't be a Commander either.”

“If you want to be Commander then you can,” I told him.

“That's not fair to you,” he told me.

“It's your choice like it was mine on whether I want to be Commander or not,” I explained.

“Then I'd just be forced to leave you,” he told me.

“It's still your choice,” I told him with a shrug.

He looked down. “I don't know. I want to be with you, I really do. I also want to be a Commander. I suppose I can't do both.”

“Either way, don't make a decision now. You cannot be Commander just yet. Making a decision now is just a bad idea. Wait and see what happens,” I told him softly.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma'am. What are you going to tell your Commander?”

“That I'm not ready to be Commander,” I replied simply.

He nodded and kept staring at the ground.

“It'll be okay,” I promised and held out my hands carefully.

He took my hands and smiled a little at me. “I know, I just wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish you didn't have to choose.”

“I know, but it's okay. Let's just hope I made the right choice,” I told him.

“I'll make sure you did,” he promised and sat up to look at me.

“Good,” I said with a nod and smiled at him.

He took one hand to run down the length of my braid. “Do you like it?” he asked, trying to direct the conversation somewhere else.

“Yes, Sir, it's very pretty,” I replied and looked down to admire it.

He smiled big. “I'm glad.”

“Me too,” I told him.

He smiled sheepishly. “Stay still,” he told me.

I sat up straight so he could do something else with my hair and smiled a little. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek softly. I jumped a little, not expecting that but smiled bigger without realizing. He pulled away to smile.

“Did you like that?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir, I wasn't expecting you to do that. I thought you were going to do something with my hair,” I admitted and laughed a little.

“I figured I owed you,” he told me softly.

“For what?” I asked.

“Choosing me over your position,” he replied.

“Oh, of course, Sir,” I said nodding.

He smiled and kissed my cheek again.

“Is that how we owe each other? With affection?” I asked curiously.

“Not necessarily, it's one way though,” he told me and leaned his head against the side of mine.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a small nod.

“Sort of interesting not having you react back,” he commented.

“Was I supposed to do something back? I'm sorry, Sir, I can do something if you want me to,” I said quickly and silently scolded myself.

“Well, usually it's like I do something, then you either copy it or do something else. It's okay though,” he promised.

“I'm sorry,” I told him quietly and laid my head on his shoulder. Was this okay?

“It's okay,” he promised softly and pulled me into his lap.

I tensed up slightly and pulled away enough to look at him carefully. “Is this another way to show affection?”

“Yes, Ma'am. I just enjoy being close to you. Do you like it too?” he asked looking up at me.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and laid my head back down on his shoulder.

“Do you know why?” he asked and leaned against me.

“No, Sir, not really,” I admitted.

“Do you want me to offer you an explanation?” he asked curiously.

“What is it?” I asked.

He looked back up. “There's an affection that everyone craves. It's sort of an instinct, that's why you like it without knowing why.”

“That makes sense,” I said nodding.

“I like feeling your heartbeat,” he told me.

“You can feel it?” I asked and felt my heart go even faster. I didn't even realize how fast it was going before.

He smiled and nodded. “It shows how you really feel, not just the emotions you have been taught to feel.”

“I'm sorry,” I told him and tried to calm my heart down.

“No, no, it's sweet. I really like it,” he assured me quickly.

“Oh, alright,” I said laughing nervously.

“Mine is doing it too,” he told me and grabbed my hand to place on his chest, over his heart.

I barely felt it racing and smiled at him. I played with a piece of his shirt and looked at him carefully. He smiled reassuringly at me. I smiled a little bigger and examined him slowly for some reason.

“What are you looking at?” he asked sweetly.

“Nothing, Sir, sorry,” I told him quickly and looked down at my hands.

“It's okay,” he promised.

I nodded and kept playing with the piece of his shirt gently.

“You can look,” he told me softly.

I bit my lip slightly and looked back up at him slowly.

He smiled at me. “Nothing you do is wrong, I promise. I'll let you know if it's wrong,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He smiled and kissed my cheek again before scooting back so he could sit up against the railing.

I hesitated but laid up against his chest, laying my ear over his heart to listen to it. He placed his chin on top of my head lightly and held me tightly.

After a while, I pulled away enough to look up at the sky as the sun set. He leaned against me instead of watching the sunset. I ran my fingers through his hair slowly and smiled at all the different colors. He leaned his head into my hand and sighed happily.

I looked down at him and nuzzled my nose into his hair gently before looking back up, not wanting to miss anything.

“I was so worried about losing you, that's why I was quiet at dinner,” he told me.

“I understand, but I'm right here, and you won't lose me,” I promised.

He nodded and held me tightly. “I'm so scared of losing anyone else,” he told me softly.

I hesitated and kissed the top of his head carefully and pulled away quickly. “It's okay,” I promised.

“Please don't leave me,” he told me quietly.

“I won't,” I assured him.

He nodded and breathed out shakily. I watched the sun finish setting before leaning into him again. He ran his fingers along my back lightly after a while. A shiver went down my spine from his fingers and I silently scolded myself for ruining it.

He didn't seem to notice and kept doing it slowly and gently. I forced myself to tense up so I could stay still for him and bit my lip. He pulled his hands away.

“You don't like that,” he mentioned.

“No, no, it just tickles a little,” I explained quickly.

“Are you sure?” he asked and just rubbed my back with the palm of his hand.

“Yes, Sir, I'm sorry,” I told him.

“It's okay,” he told me softly. “I just don't want to chase you away.”

“You won't,” I promised.

He nodded and nuzzled against me happily, still rubbing my back. I leaned into him carefully and closed my eyes sleepily.

“You're my girl,” he told me softly.

“What?” I asked opening my eyes to look at him. I was his? He owned me?

“What? What?” he asked curiously, seeming confused.

“You own me now?” I asked.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “You're just my girl, no other guy is allowed to be with you like this.”

“I'm yours?” I asked, still feeling confused.

“Like us being together,” he explained. “I get to be yours and you get to be mine. No one else can have you unless you decide not to want me anymore, or vice versa.”

“Why would I decide not to want you anymore?” I asked.

“You decide you don't like me anymore,” he explained. “Maybe I do something you don't like. Maybe I don't appeal to you anymore. Maybe you just don't like me as much as you used to.”

“Do I have to decide to leave if you do something I don't like?” I asked.

“If you don't want to be with me, you can say it and I won't be with you anymore. We won't do this anymore and it'll be like it was when we were apart,” he told me.

“So can you decide you don't want me anymore as well?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am, but that won't happen,” he told me.

“Why do you say that?” I asked curiously.

“Because I know I don't want to be apart from you,” he told me.

“What if I know that I don't want to be apart from you?” I asked.

“Then you don't have to be,” he told me with a smile.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and smiled back.

“You do know that you can't mess around with other guys while you want to be with me, right?” he asked curiously. “I know you won't, I just want to make sure you know that you can't do that.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied. “That wouldn't be fair to you.”

“Just checking, I don't know what you do and don't know,” he told me.

“It's okay,” I promised. “If I'm yours then you're mine, nobody else.”

“Right,” he said with a nod.

“Alright then,” I said returning the nod and smiled bigger.

He leaned against me and stayed quiet as he rubbed my back slowly. I laid my face against his neck and took a deep breath. I smiled at his scent and nuzzled into his neck.

“I know you don't want to hear this, but we have to go,” he told me softly after a while.

I stayed quiet, hoping he'd think I was asleep and just stay up here.

He rubbed my back a little quicker. “Come on, Reese,” he told me softly.

I shook my head and nuzzled deeper into his neck. He nuzzled back.

“Someone will notice,” he told me softly.

“I know,” I mumbled.

“I'm sorry, I know you don't want to leave. I don't either,” he told me quietly and kissed my neck softly.

I leaned into him more and closed my eyes. He sighed a little, but held me tightly. I sighed back and pulled away from him completely and stood up to offer my hand. He took my hand with a smile.

“I'll tell Commander that I'm not ready to take his place in the morning then we can meet for lunch, okay?” I offered.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he said politely and stood up.

I smiled up at him and headed back to the elevator. Hopefully nobody noticed that we were gone.

“This is a computer?” I asked Jason as we walked into a big room. The walls were pretty much covered in tons of screens and it was really dark in the room.

“Yes, Sir, these are computers,” he said with a nod.

I gazed around at it all, trying to take it in. “Are you going to teach me how it works?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” he replied and sat down in front of one of the screens.

I sat down beside him and watched the screen light up. I looked at it in awe.

“This is really cool,” I told him laughing a little as he started typing across a keyboard.

“You know how to write, correct?” he asked.

“Yes,” I told him, giving him an annoyed look.

“Typing is the same,” he told me.

I nodded. “Alright, that makes sense,” I told him.

“All you have to do is type the place you want to search into this box,” he said and pointed at a little box on the screen. “When you’re done searching that place, type the next place.”

“That's it?” I asked curiously. “How was that supposed to be difficult for me?”

“I made it simple, usually you have to know the coordinates and you have to use a digital map,” he explained.

“Maps can be digital?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, this is why I made it simple for you,” he told me and snickered at me.

“Hey, don't be mean,” I told him with a scowl.

“I’m not,” he told me.

I gave him a skeptical look. “So I can just look up whatever I want to?”

“Yes, Sir,” he said nodding.

I leaned back in my chair and nodded. “I suppose I can't just look up where that flash drive copy is, can I?”

He laughed. “No, Sir.”

“Don't laugh, I'm trying to figure it out,” I told him and crossed my arms. “Not my fault that you've got all this strange technology.”

“Not my fault you've lived under a rock your whole life,” he replied.

“Not mine either,” I replied.

“Well,” he said with a shrug.

“How am I supposed to find a flash drive if I can't just look it up? How does the computer help?” I asked him.

“Because you can track everything that has been imported into Terra. The computer will pick it up and show you if you've found the hard drive,” he explained.

“Then do that,” I told him and waved at the computer. “Make it do that.”

“It will, you have to search the different places it could be,” he told me and laughed.

“You do it,” I told him.

“That's your job, your mission. Not mine, I'm the one who's going to go get it once you find it,” he told me.

I cussed under my breath. How was I supposed to find something using a tool that hardly made any sense? I should have just told Commander Leslie that I didn't even know what a computer was.

“Why couldn't I just go get it?” I grumbled. “Fine, how do I see all the tracking stuff?”

“Have fun,” he told me.

“Wait, I'm serious. How do I make it do that? Do I just look it up?” I asked quickly.

“Yes, just search the place,” he replied.

“Okay,” I said slowly and took his place in front of the computer.

He watched me for a bit and sighed a little.

“I’ve got it,” I promised, laughing nervously.

“Do you?” he asked.

“I believe so,” I told him and hesitated before looking at the keyboard. I recognized the letters and numbers, but there were other things too. Enter, shift, tab, backspace, and a few keys with random letters.

He sighed again. “I can do it,” he told me.

“No, I want to figure it out,” I told him and waved him away. “I’ll let you know where the flash drive is.”

“Alright,” he sighed and walked off.

I made sure he was gone before examining everything. I tapped a key and a letter popped up on the screen. I made a curious noise and started spelling out a bunch of random words. They all popped up on the screen. I laughed a little, amused at what I had done. I wondered how to make it go away. I examined the keyboard and pushed the backspace key. It deleted a letter. I held it and it deleted everything.

I scoffed. “See, I can do this,” I told Jason, even though he wasn’t here.

I hesitated before typing in ‘Commander Lukin’. I waited for something to pop up and felt annoyed when it didn’t. I looked back down at the keyboard. Enter, duh. I poked the key and the screen changed.

A picture and a bunch of paragraphs appeared. I stared at the photo curiously. Mama was right, I did look like him. Dark hair, dark eyes, high cheekbones, strong jawline. His shoulders just looked wider than mine. He was standing proud in an extremely fancy uniform, I saw his necklace hanging off of his neck, outside of his shirt.

I stared at him for a moment, finding it hard to believe that this was my father. I pulled my necklace out and let it hang instead of hiding it.

I heard the door open and close quietly. “Jason said you were in here,” Reese commented as she walked over to me.

I jumped and put my necklace back in my shirt before turning to look at her. “Oh, hey,” I said softly.

“Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you,” she told me softly.

“No, it’s okay, I was just thinking,” I explained and shook my head.

She nodded and examined the screen. “I don't think the hard drive is there,” she commented and smiled down at me.

I looked back at the screen. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I said softly.

“But I'm sure you can keep looking,” she told me.

“I have a mission,” I told her and pressed the backspace.

“I should leave you to it then. Jason wanted me to come in and see how you were doing,” she explained.

“I could use some help,” I mentioned and looked up at her.

“Could you?” she asked.

“Yeah, I suck at trying to work a computer,” I told her.

“I can help,” she said and sat down in the seat next to me.

I scooted over so she could get to the keyboard. “Sorry,” I told her sheepishly.

“For what?” she asked curiously as she started typing quickly.

“Not knowing how to do my own mission,” I explained.

“That means you can learn something new,” she told me and reached up to touch the screen and move the image around. It looked like a regular map, just on the screen.

“That’s a digital map,” I claimed with a smile. I knew what that was.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

“That is cool,” I told her nodding and watched her move it around. “I didn’t realize I could touch it.”

“See, you're learning,” she told me and smiled over at me.

“I seem to do a lot of that,” I commented with a chuckle.

“That's okay,” she assured me and looked back at the screen. “What's one of the main ports in Terra?”

“That one,” I said and pointed at the port right outside of the capital.

She used her fingers to zoom in on the port and poked it. She dragged her finger across it slowly. “Where's another one?” she asked after she finished examining the port and zoomed back out.

I examined the map and pointed at another one. She did the same thing and shook her head.

“How many are there?” she asked.

“A bunch,” I told her and pointed at three more along the coast. “And there are others on the other side of Terra.”

She nodded and started searching through the three I pointed at. “Here it is,” she told me as a red dot appeared on the second port.

I nodded. “Now what?”

She tapped on the dot and a series of numbers and letters popped up. “Now we send Jason to go get it and hope it doesn't get too far before he does,” she explained and stood up.

I stood up as well. “Okay, awesome. Should I go get him?”

“Yes, Sir, and tell him to go to your Commander,” she told me. “I'll go with you,” she offered.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Hopefully they only made one copy,” she commented and led me out of the room.

I followed after her. “I’d imagine there would be more.”

“We’ll discuss that with your Commander,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

She led me to the elevator and smiled reassuringly at me. “Good job,” she praised.

“For what?” I asked curiously.

“For telling me where all the ports were. I wouldn’t have been able to find all of the main ones without you,” she explained.

“Oh,” I said and laughed. “You’re welcome.”

She smiled and stood at an at ease stance. I copied her and waited for the elevator to open back up. When the doors opened, she walked into the training room over to where Jason was.

“Found it,” I told him proudly, even though she was the one who found it.

“Did you?” he asked and put the weights down to look at me.

“Yes, Sir,” I told him.

“Where is it?” he asked.

“Middleton port,” I replied.

“Let’s go to Commander Leslie then,” he said with a nod.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

He stretched his arms as he walked to the elevator. I followed after him obediently, proud that I had helped, even if it was only a little bit. Reese hesitated before following me carefully. We all went into the elevator and headed towards Commander Leslie’s office.

Jason walked up to her office and knocked on the door.

“Come in!” she called.

He opened the door and we all followed him in to stand at attention.

“At ease,” she told us with a nod. “What brings you? Good news I hope.”

“Yes, Ma’am, Odin has found the copy of the hard drive,” Jason replied.

“Good, where is it?” she asked.

“Middleton port,” he told her. “I assume it will be moved towards the capital. If I leave now then I should be able to get it before it gets there.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod. “Take what you need. I expect the flash drive to be here no later than tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Ma’am, I shall be back here tonight then,” he said with a proud smile.

She gave him a nod. “Dismissed.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied and saluted before walking out of the room.

She looked at us for a moment with a smile. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, Ma’am,” Reese replied shaking her head.

“Then you are dismissed as well,” she told us.

Reese nodded and saluted before walking out as well. She stopped at the door to wait for me. I saluted and turned to leave with her. She smiled up at me and led me back down the hall.

“You seem happy,” I commented with a smile.

“I am happy,” she told me nodding.

“That’s good,” I told her with a nod.

“Are you happy?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

“Good,” she said with a nod and smiled bigger.

I smiled and wished I could hold her again, but I was working. Instead I strolled beside her. “What are you doing for the remainder of the evening?”

“Today is my day off,” she explained with a shrug.

“Day off?” I asked curiously and thought about it. “I guess since Jason is gone, I get a day off as well.”

“Technically, we only get one day off a year. Is today your birthday as well?” she asked curiously.

“It’s your birthday?” I asked with a smile.

“Yes, Sir, that’s why I’m eligible to be Commander today,” she explained.

“I didn't know,” I told her shaking my head. I still felt horrible about the whole thing. She wouldn't get to be Commander because of me. I know that's what she wanted, but it still sucked.

“We usually don’t make a big deal about them but we get a day off so,” she said shrugging.

“That's pretty cool,” I told her with a nod. “I assume you're eighteen now?”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and smiled big.

I smiled back and tried to ignore the memories of my eighteenth birthday. I swallowed hard and walked along side her.

“What are you doing for the remainder of the evening?” she asked.

“I don't know, when's dinner?” I asked curiously.

“In about an hour or so,” she explained.

I nodded and messed with my necklace through my shirt.

“Did you want to continue your research on him? I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she asked.

“Oh, I don't know,” I told her softly. I really wanted to know more though.

“I don't have to come either so you can do whatever,” she offered.

“I'd actually rather you come with me,” I told her.

“Okay, I can come,” she said nodding.

I smiled a little and felt nervous. What if I didn't like what I figured out?

We went back to the room with all the computers and I sat down again. I typed in his name and started scrolling through everything.

She sat down because me and examined the screen as well, staying quiet so I could read.

I sort of knew everything I read about. He was the Commander of section L and on his way to becoming a general.

“When did he die?” I asked Reese. “Was it recent?”

“It was recent. Almost two years ago,” she explained.

I nodded. “I doubt he would have liked me,” I mentioned. “I was probably a mistake.”

“You might have been. But you're not anymore,” she told me softly.

I smiled over at her. “I'm glad you don't think that.”

“Of course I don't think that,” she replied.

I offered her my hand with a bigger smile. She took it and smiled back at me. I held her hand and continued reading through everything they had on him. She scooted closer to me to lean against me slightly and let me read.

I ran out of things and pulled my necklace out of my shirt again to examine it.

“Do you miss him?” she asked me after a while.

“Hard to miss what I never had,” I replied. “Sort of makes me mad that he just left us to starve, but I get it now. He wasn't allowed to be with my mother. I don't know how they ended up together.”

“Nobody even knew that you guys existed. That would have been a question for him or your mother,” she told me softly.

“They're both gone, it's just me,” I told her softly.

“Yeah, but it's okay,” she promised.

I nodded. “Yeah, because I have you.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and nuzzled into my shoulder slightly.

I nuzzled into her as well with a smile. She was so affectionate now.

“Why did you research your father?” she asked curiously after a while.

“I just wanted to know what legacy I have to keep up,” I replied.

She nodded. “You don't have to live up to his legacy, you're not him,” she told me.

“That's true,” I replied and pulled out my necklace to mess with.

“But you can if you would like,” she continued and watched me mess with it.

“I don't really know what I want to do. I know I want to be with you, that's for sure. I just don't have any other plans,” I told her.

“You don't have to figure it out at this moment. Just keep training and going on missions,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied obediently and tucked my necklace away.

“You're still relatively new so you don't have to think about that just yet,” she continued.

“True,” I said softly and leaned over to kiss her cheek lightly.

She smiled up at me. “Plus, then you only have to focus on what you know you want,” she commented.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied and kissed her again.

She smiled bigger and nuzzled her face into my neck carefully.

“You're so sweet,” I told her with a chuckle.

“Am I?” she asked softly.

“You always have been, but now that you understand all of this it makes you even sweeter,” I explained.

“It's weird being called sweet,” she commented.

“Bad weird or new weird?” I asked curiously.

“New weird,” she replied.

I nodded and kissed her again. “You seem to be warming up to that though.”

“I hope so,” she told me softly.

“Hope so?” I asked curiously.

“I hope I'm warming up to the whole thing,” she explained.

I nodded and pulled my hand away to wrap my arm around her waist so she could get closer to me. She hesitated but wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my neck.

I closed my eyes and felt her heart race faintly. She was so warm, I smiled big before leaning into her. She pulled away slightly and kissed my cheek quickly before burying her face back into my neck.

I laughed a little. “You're so nervous.”

“I’m sorry, Sir,” she told me and took a deep breath to calm down.

“It's okay,” I promised softly.

“I don’t know why I’m nervous though,” she admitted.

“Because you like me,” I said simply.

“Why should I be nervous then?” she asked.

“I was always told it's because you want to impress me,” I told her.

“I have to impress you?” she asked and sat up to look at me.

“You already have,” I explained. “That's why I want to be with you.”

“Oh, then if I’ve already impressed you then why am I nervous?” she asked. “Do I have to impress you again?”

I shook my head. “Maybe it's because you're not used to touching.”

“Maybe,” she said nodding and examined me carefully.

I smiled at her. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” she said shaking her head quickly and looked away.

“It's okay,” I promised and kissed her cheek lightly.

“You told me that yesterday,” she said and laughed a little. “I’m sorry I’m like this.”

“It's okay,” I promised, laughing a little at her. “I still like you regardless.”

“But you would like me more if I actually...did stuff, wouldn’t you?” she asked.

“I like you because of who you are, not because of what we do,” I told her.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

I leaned against her and sighed happily. She scooted closer and hesitated before kissing the side of my head lightly. I smiled big and leaned a little more. She laid her forehead against the side of my head and sighed with relief.

“Are you okay?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding a little.

I pulled away to smile at her. “I wish we were in a different situation,” I told her.

“We can go to the roof if you want,” she offered.

“I mean entirely,” I explained.

“Oh because we aren’t allowed to be together?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” she told me softly.

“It's okay,” I told her and pulled my necklace out so it was visible.

“Maybe things will change,” she said quietly.

“How?” I asked curiously.

“I don’t know, that rule has been in place way before I was born,” she told me.

“Then I doubt it'll ever change,” I told her softly.

“You’re probably right,” she said nodding.

“It'll work out, we'll make it work,” I promised softly. “I promise.”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and laid against me.

I held her for a long time. “I wish I could make it better.”

“I wish I could too,” she told me softly.

“How often do you think we’ll see each other?” I asked curiously. We had been lucky so far, but I knew things could change.

“Well, seems like we can eat meals together and we can train together and we go on missions. So I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t see each other all day. We just wouldn’t be able to see each other at night,” she explained.

I nodded. “That's true,” I said slowly and smiled at her.

She smiled back but the alarm for dinner went off before she could reply.

“Here,” I said and pulled away to stand up.

She stood up as well and smiled up at me. “Dinner?” she offered.

“Yeah, but,” I said and pulled my necklace off. “I want you to wear this,” I told her as I offered it. “That way it's like you always have me with you.”

“But it was your father’s,” she told me.

“I'll get it back,” I assured her. “It's just for now.”

“Thank you, Sir, I’ll take care of it,” she promised and carefully took it from me.

“I trust that you will,” I said nodding and rubbed the spot on my chest where it usually sat.

She examined it before putting it on and slid it under her shirt so it was hidden. I smiled at her and stepped forward to kiss her forehead, staying there for a moment.

“Let's go,” I told her after I stepped away.

We both walked out of the room and towards the cafeteria.

After dinner, I led Odin up to the roof. I wanted to see the sun set again. It was so pretty and relaxing. I sat down in the middle of the roof and laid on my back to wait for the sun to start setting.

He sat down beside me and I watched him grab for the necklace that I was wearing. He seemed to realize his mistake and held his hands instead. I took the necklace out so he could look at it.

“It's fine, I trust you,” he assured me. “It's just a habit to mess with it.”

“It’s okay,” I told him with a shrug.

He stared at it for a second before lying down beside me.

“Sorry I dragged you up here, I wanted to see the sun set again,” I explained.

“I don't mind being up here,” he told me with a shrug.

“I figured you wouldn’t, but usually you’re the one to bring me up here,” I mentioned.

“That's true,” he replied.

“I just wanted to give you an explanation,” I continued to ramble.

“It's fine, Reese, I promise,” he said, laughing a little.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I’m getting nervous again I guess,” I told him.

“I don't know why,” he said and turned his head to smile at me.

“You told me earlier it’s because I like you,” I told him.

“Yeah, but earlier we were touching,” he mentioned.

“I like you when we’re not touching too,” I told him.

“That's good,” he said nodding.

“You said earlier that you liked me because of who I am, not what I do,” I replied.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied.

“I feel the same way,” I explained.

“Got it,” he said smiling with a nod.

I smiled back and sat up to watch the sun. He sat up as well and wrapped his arm around my waist again. He laid his head on my shoulder and watched as well.

“You don’t have to watch if you don’t want to,” I told him softly.

“I want to,” he assured me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He held me and watched the sun start to set. I watched all the colors erupt across the sky.

“Do you know why it does that?” I asked him.

“What?” he asked curiously.

“Do you know why there are a bunch of colors in a sunset?” I asked.

He nodded. “It's because the Sun is so low to the horizon, the light rays get scattered throughout the sky more than during the day. That leads to all the wild colors in the mornings and evenings.”

“It's pretty,” I commented.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he agreed.

“Knowing why it does that makes it prettier,” I continued.

He smiled. “Yes, Ma'am.”

After watching the sunset, I laid back down and just stared up at the sky. He laid on his side, nuzzling his face into my shoulder and neck. I carefully grabbed his hand and held it tightly. He held my hand back tightly as well.

I hesitated and leaned over to kiss his head gently. He leaned into me and made a small happy noise. I laughed a little at him and leaned into him back.

“You're so perfect,” he told me softly.

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied and smiled big. Nobody had called me that. Nobody really called me anything like that.

“You're very welcome,” he told me quietly.

“It's weird being called that as well. A new weird though,” I commented.

“I'm sorry that, that has to be new for you. You deserve to know how valuable you are,” he told me.

“I'm only a mere soldier,” I told him with a shrug.

“No you're not,” he told me. “You're much more than that.”

“How so?” I asked.

“I mean, being a soldier is your job. You're more than your job title. You're this intelligent, gorgeous girl,” he told me. “You're my girl too.”

I smiled, speechless. “I'm glad I'm your girl,” I decided on.

“Me too,” he told me and kissed my cheek softly.

I smiled bigger and leaned into him more. I closed my eyes and sighed happily.

“Did that make you happy?” he asked sweetly.

I nodded a little without opening my eyes.

“I'm glad I make you happy,” he said softly and nuzzled against me.

“Do I make you happy?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied and kissed my cheek softly, but didn't pull away immediately.

“Good, you deserve to be happy,” I told him carefully.

He smiled against me and nuzzled back into my neck.

“You out of all of us deserve to be happy. You're still human,” I continued.

“What do you mean?” he asked curiously.

“You're the only one who really understands emotions, you're still the human out of us so you deserve to be the happiest,” I explained.

“You're human too,” he told me.

“Barely and that's only because of you,” I replied.

“I can help you be more...human,” he offered.

“Okay, Sir,” I said nodding.

“As long as you want,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir, I do,” I assured him.

He nodded and kissed my neck lightly. I smiled and leaned into him. He laid his head on my shoulder and after a while, started breathing slower.

“Crap,” I cursed under my breath. We weren't supposed to fall asleep. I looked down at him. He looked so peaceful. I sighed. One night shouldn't be too bad. I laid against him and closed my eyes to fall asleep as well.

“Coyle,” I heard a deep voice call out.

I groaned a little but woke up quickly. I sat up and looked up at Commander. I was still on the roof with Odin. I stood up at attention quickly.

“Yes, Sir?” I asked slowly, knowing we made a mistake.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously, Commander Leslie was beside him with her arms crossed.

“I was sleeping, Sir. Mr. Lukin and I were discussing his mission and we must have fallen asleep. I'm very sorry, Sir,” I explained.

“Would you like to try that again?” he asked curiously.

“I'm sorry, Sir, it won't happen again,” I promised and tried to hide my panic.

“What are you doing up here?” he asked calmly.

“I was hanging out with Odin,” I told him.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because we like hanging out together outside of our missions and training,” I told him.

He glanced over at Commander Leslie.

“Why don't you wake him up and come to my office?” she asked me with a smile.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I said with a nod and swallowed hard.

They both turned and walked off, talking about something that I couldn't hear.

I bit my lip and waited until they were gone to look down at Odin. “Odin?” I asked loudly.

He groaned and sat up a little. “Oh s***,” he breathed once he looked around. “We have to get back to bed.”

“No, Sir, we have to get to Commander Leslie’s office,” I corrected him.

He looked at me with wide eyes. “They found us?”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding quietly and looked down at the ground.

“I'm so sorry, Reese,” he said quickly and stood up. “This shouldn't have happened, I'm so sorry it's all my fault.”

“I shouldn't have brought you up here,” I told him and shook my head. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him. I just started walking to the elevator.

“Reese,” he breathed and ran after me.

“I'm so sorry,” I told him but stopped for him.

Instead of saying anything he stepped in front of me and wrapped his arms around me tightly.

“I'm so sorry,” I told him again.

“It's okay,” he told me softly and kissed my neck over and over.

“No, it's not,” I said shaking my head quickly.

He pulled away to smile a little at me. “It will be,” he said softly.

“No it won't,” I said shaking my head quicker and looked away from him.

“Please,” he said softly. “I know everything is about to get bad, just for a moment can we pretend everything is fine. Just for a moment.”

“Okay,” I said quietly but didn't look up.

“Look at me,” he said softly.

I looked up slowly and forced myself to stay there. He smiled at me and seemed to be examining me. He stayed like that for a moment before leaning down to kiss my lips lightly. I jumped a little but didn't pull away. I felt my lip tremble involuntarily and I closed my eyes. He stayed there for a while before he pulled away slightly.

“I'm glad I did that now,” he said laughing a little.

“Yes, Sir,” I said quietly.

He kissed me again, staying there for a long time. I hesitated but kissed him back. I shouldn't be doing this. I should be taking him to his Commander so we can accept our consequences. So we can get executed.

He pulled me closer and kissed me a little deeper. I pushed all my thoughts away and kissed him deeper as well. He pulled my hair down and ran his fingers up through it. I placed my hands on his arms and stepped closer to him. He placed one hand on my lower back and pushed me up against him.

I ran my hands up his arms up to the back of his neck. He kissed me deeper and ran his fingers up the back of my shirt. I tensed up slightly but quickly relaxed before he could notice. He pulled away, breathing hard. He grinned big at me.

“I hope that was as nice for you as it was for me,” he told me as he breathed hard.

“Yes, Sir,” I breathed.

He grinned and pulled me against him again so he could clutch me tightly.

“You're the best thing that's ever happened to me,” he told me softly. “I want you to know that.”

“Okay, Sir,” I breathed shakily.

He rubbed the back of my head. “It's okay,” he told me softly. “It's okay.”

My lip trembled again and I looked down. “No it's not,” I whimpered. I felt as vulnerable as when Jax attacked me and when those guys touched me.

He swallowed hard. “I'm so sorry.”

“I'm sorry that I did this to you. I should've been more careful. I knew that we should've gone inside but I just let you fall asleep. I didn't want to wake you,” I rambled.

“Reese, it's okay. It was bound to happen,” he told me.

“It wasn't supposed to though. We were supposed to be together. Now we're going to be executed in front of everyone,” I whimpered and felt panic swell in my chest.

“Calm down, you can't scare yourself like this,” he told me softly then kissed me again.

I whimpered slightly but kissed him back carefully. He held me tightly as he kissed me deeper. I tried to ignore my panic and focus on him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. He pulled away slightly and placed his nose on mine lightly.

“You're my girl, aren't you?” he asked softly and ran his fingers through my hair.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied quietly.

“Promise?” he asked softly with a smile.

“Promise,” I said nodding a little.

He pulled one hand away to press his thumb against his necklace, that I was still wearing.

“Do you want it back?” I asked. “This is when the ‘for now’ would end.”

He shook his head. “I want it to be with you.”

“I don’t have anything to give you,” I told him softly.

He smiled and ran his fingers through my hair. “It's okay,” he promised.

My lip trembled and I kissed him again to make it stop. He kissed me back deeply.

“I’m so sorry,” I breathed in between kisses.

“Hush,” he told me softly and continued kissing me.

I nodded a little and kissed him back.

He kissed me for a long time, running his fingers up and down my back. He pulled away slightly.

“If they have to come get us, it'll be worse,” he told me softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied but didn’t pull away. I didn’t want to go down there. I didn’t want to leave him.

He didn't move either, just held me as close as he could. I swallowed hard and reluctantly pulled away before I could change my mind. He offered me a smile and held out his hand. I smiled back weakly and took his hand. I looked at the ground and headed to the elevator slowly.

We walked to Commander Leslie’s office in silence, holding each other's hand. He knocked on her door politely.

“Come in!” she called.

He leaned over to kiss my cheek lightly before opening the door and walking in. Commander Leslie was at her desk, my Commander was standing beside her.

“Good morning,” she greeted us with a smile.

“Good morning, Ma'am. Good morning, Sir,” Odin greeted them both politely.

“I assume you know why we have asked you to come in,” she commented.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied with a nod.

“You are aware of the rules about relationships, correct?” she asked him. “If you are not aware then you shall be dismissed.”

He looked over at me, then back at her. “Yes, Ma'am. I was aware,” he replied, I assumed he didn't want to lie and make things worse.

“Very well, we have discussed your punishment. We believe that Reese is the one most at fault,” she told us.

“Yes, Ma’am, I am,” I told her and swallowed the lump in my throat.

“You'll both be executed, I'm sure you know that,” she continued.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied with a nod.

“You shall be executing him, then your Commander will execute you,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I repeated simply.

I could feel Odin tense up. He squeezed my hand tightly.

“Then the execution will take place shortly,” she told us.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I said and put a polite smile on.

“I hope you realize how disappointed we are in both of you. Reese, you worked too hard to throw everything away like this. Odin, you've destroyed your father’s legacy and name,” my Commander told us harshly. “All because you decided that you needed to be in a relationship instead of focusing on your work. I never thought we'd have to do away with two of our most elite soldiers. You've embarrassed your sections, this military, and Opes.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and bit my lip to keep it still.

“Yes, Sir,” Odin replied obediently.

“Get out of my face, to the training floor,” he ordered.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated and turned to walk out of the room quickly. Commander had never been mad at me before. I was always his favorite. Now he’d have to kill me. My lip trembled and I watched my vision blur as I walked with Odin to the elevator.

He stayed quiet and we stepped into the elevator. He stayed quiet in there too. My mind raced and my heart beat quickly. I blinked away tears but it didn’t work very well, I just ended up trembling and wiping my face quickly.

He wrapped his arms around me and placed his hand on the back of my head to push it against his chest lightly.

“I don’t want to kill you,” I sobbed and clutched his shirt tightly.

“I know,” he breathed. “It's okay, you have to.”

“It’s not okay,” I whimpered.

He pulled away and stopped the elevator before wrapping his arms back around me.

“We have to get to the training floor,” I told him but held him tightly.

“I'm getting a few more minutes with you,” he told me softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I whimpered and sniffled quickly, trying to pull myself together.

He held me and nuzzled against me. “I'm not mad at you for having to do it,” he told me softly. “I won't be, I promise.”

“But I’ll be mad at myself. Even if it’ll only be for a couple minutes. I won’t forgive myself,” I said shaking my head.

“Reese, it's okay,” he promised softly. “I know you don't want to. It's not your fault. If I'm not mad at you, then you can't be mad at yourself.”

“It’s not okay,” I told him shaking my head quicker.

He swallowed hard and held me tighter.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll pull myself together. I don’t know why I let myself do that,” I said and pulled away to wipe my face and sniffle.

He wiped the tears off of my cheeks with his thumbs. He offered me a smile. I smiled weakly at him and my lip trembled again.

He leaned down to kiss me, staying there for a long time. Longer than before. I kissed him back, memorizing what it felt like to have affection. I really liked his compliments and his kisses. It was nice to know that someone liked me for who I was, not for how well I fought or shot.

He pulled away and hesitated. “I love you,” he told me softly.

“You what?” I asked.

He laughed a little. “I love you,” he told me. “It's when you more than like someone. It's a lot more meaningful,” he told me softly.

I nodded. “Then I love you,” I replied softly.

He nodded back. “I wanted you to know that someone loved you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I told him. “I’ll make sure you die loved,” I promised.

He nodded and smiled before pressing the button to turn back on the elevator. I bit my lip and wiped my face quickly. I couldn’t go out there and die with no dignity.

“One more,” he told me softly and bent over slightly to kiss me.

One more. That’s all I’d get. I hesitated but held the back of his neck to keep him still and kissed him deeply. He stayed there until the elevator doors opened. He pulled away slightly and breathed hard before stepping away from me. He grabbed my hand and led me out into the training floor.

I held his hand tightly and forced myself not to freak out again. How was I going to kill him? I loved him now. Something told me that I shouldn’t kill someone I loved. I pushed that thought away. I had to do it. Otherwise they’d just kill him themselves. He has to die loved. I have to do it. I bit my lip and followed him to the middle of the room. It was already cleared out for the execution.

He sighed and examined the room. “I really liked being a soldier,” he told me softly.

“I’m glad you liked it,” I told him and looked at the floor.

He swallowed hard. “I think my mother would have been proud,” he told me.

“I think so too,” I replied and wondered if my parents were proud of me. I never thought about them. They only knew my name though so I guess they can’t be proud of someone they don’t know.

“They would have loved you too,” he told me.

“They would?” I asked looking up at him.

He nodded and smiled. “Oh, yes. My mother always wanted me to find a pretty, sweet girl to bring home. Anastasia would have picked at us for a while before she got used to you.”

“Well, now you can bring me home. Just let your mother know I’m coming,” I told him softly.

He laughed a little and looked at the ground. “I will,” he breathed.

“I wouldn’t tell her that I was the one that killed her, her daughter and her son though,” I commented.

He shook his head. “That's not you, that's what you had to do. It won't matter what you did at that point.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and looked back down at the floor.

“I love you,” he told me softly.

“I love you,” I replied and squeezed his hand tightly.

He looked at me with a smile. “Now I'll get to love you forever.”

“Promise you’ll still love me?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he told me.

I nodded and grabbed his arm with my free hand to step closer to him and nuzzle my face into his shoulder. He laid his head on mine lightly and stayed quiet. I closed my eyes as I heard the elevator open and soldiers started filing in slowly.

He looked down at me and smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you,” I told him quietly.

He nodded and held me tightly.

Everyone gathered around us and my Commander walked up to us with a gun in his hand. Odin squeezed me tightly and stood up straight. I swallowed hard and pulled away to stand at attention.

Commander grabbed Odin’s arms and pulled him to the center of the room. He forced him down onto his knees as everyone lined up. Odin looked up at everyone, staying where Commander had put him.

Commander walk over to me and offered the gun. I bit my tongue and took it with shaky hands. It’s just like any other execution. At least I didn’t have to look at his face.

Everyone finished falling in and Commander started announcing what we had done. I saw Jason standing there, looking upset for once. My lip trembled and I looked down at the floor so I wouldn’t have to look at him. I couldn’t do this.

Commander said something, but I didn't really hear it. He grabbed my arm and led me over to Odin. He stepped away and stood at attention. I couldn’t do this. I stepped back a little and bit my lip hard. I lifted the gun that was suddenly almost too heavy for me.

Odin was trembling ever so slightly, but he didn't move or say anything.

“Come on, Coyle,” Commander urged. “Kill him.”

“Yes, Sir,” I breathed and took a deep breath. I put my finger on the trigger behind his head but my finger wouldn’t pull it. I couldn’t do this.

“That's an order,” he barked.

“I know, Sir,” I replied and saw the gun shake slightly in my hands. I couldn’t pull the trigger.

He waited for me to do it. “Coyle,” he sighed. “You're still a soldier, soldiers obey.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said with a nod.

“Kill him,” he told me again.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated but just stood there. I couldn’t kill him but I was scared of what would happen if I didn’t.

He sighed and started to walk over. “Fine, but I'm not making it quick.”

“I’ve got it, Sir,” I promised quickly. He was going to hurt Odin. I had a feeling I should keep Odin from getting hurt.

“Let's go then,” he barked. “You're acting pathetic and embarrassing yourself even further.”

I swallowed and held the gun tightly. I still couldn’t but I was not going to let him hurt Odin.

“There's no where you can go anyways. This is your only home. No one cares anymore,” he told me harshly.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and swallowed again.

“So kill him, and then you'll go too. That'll be it, nothing left other than a blemish on Opes,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated and shifted a little.

He seemed pleased with what he had said and stepped back a little bit. I bit my lip harder and shifted the gun in my grip slightly.

He waited a long time before walking over a little. “Now, Coyle.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied but still couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“That's it,” he spat. “Hand it over,” he ordered.

“I can do it, Sir,” I told him.

“Obviously you can't,” he spat. “Useless soldier, useless girl.”

I gritted my teeth, suddenly angry. “I can, Sir,” I told him again.

“I'm killing the boy, hand me the gun and get down on your knees,” he ordered.

Before I could even think, I twisted the gun around in my hand and reared back to slam the butt of the gun into the side of his head. I quickly grabbed Odin’s hand and ran as fast as I could while dragging him.

“W-what are we doing?” Odin asked quickly, seeming confused.

I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t. If I did then all my adrenaline would wear off. I ran to the elevator and luckily the doors opened quickly. I jerked him inside and clicked the button for the roof quickly multiple times.

“I'm supposed to be dead,” he breathed, seeming in shock.

The doors finally shut and the elevator started moving. “Odin, we have to get out of here. You can freak out after we get out of here,” I told him and held his hand tightly with one of my hands and held the gun tightly with the other.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma'am,” he said obediently. “Our trackers,” he mentioned.

“Do you trust me?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied without hesitation.

“Then don’t worry about it until we get out of here,” I told him simply.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied.

“When we get to the roof, head to the zipline,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he repeated.

I forced the adrenaline to keep flowing through me. It wasn’t over yet. When the doors opened again, I ran out towards the zipline. We didn’t have time for both us to go down.

“Grab this and don’t let go until I tell you,” I told him and grabbed the hook on the line to hold it out to him.

“We don't have time to hook us in,” he commented to himself and grabbed it.

“It’ll be okay, just hold on tight until I say so,” I told him again and wrapped my arms around his neck tightly.

“You better hold on too,” he told me sternly.

“No, can’t risk the chance of us letting go at different times. We only get one chance,” I told him. “Let’s go.”

“Okay,” he breathed nervously. “Please hang onto me,” he begged.

I nodded and held onto him tighter. He cussed under his breath before walking off the edge, gripping the hook tightly. I watched the second building get closer and the ground get closer.

“Let go,” I told him right before we got to the lowest point.

He nodded and dropped down. I pulled away from him quickly to hit the ground. I rolled but quickly stood back up to start running towards the city.

Odin ran after me, limping ever so slightly. He pushed through it though and ran. I slowed down slightly to grab his hand in case he needed help.

“I landed wrong,” he breathed, but kept up with me.

“I’ll look at it once we get to the city,” I promised.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he breathed.

I held his hand tightly and gradually started to run faster. He kept up, squeezing my hand as tight as he could.

As the sun started to set, we came up on Princeton.

“Come on,” I urged and led him to an alley.

He stumbled after me, breathing hard.

“Sit,” I told him softly.

He nodded and leaned up against the wall before sliding down it. I knelt in front of him and rolled up his jeans to look the ankle he was limping on. It was starting to swell but it didn’t look broken. He probably sprained it.

“Alright, here’s the plan. We’re going to get some new clothes and I’m going to get our trackers out. Then I’m going to take us to a hospital to say that we were attacked and they’ll help us,” I told him.

“Y-you didn't kill me,” he told me slowly.

I offered him a small smile. “Of course not, Sir,” I told him.

“You lost everything,” he told me softly.

“I didn’t lose you,” I mentioned.

He nodded. “Sorry I landed wrong.”

“Don’t be, it takes a long time to master that,” I told him. “Do you think you can walk to a store?”

“I will,” he said with a nod and stood up, gritting his teeth.

“Yes, Sir,” I said and stood up as well. “Do you know how to rob a store?” I asked curiously.

He grinned a little. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“Great, me too,” I replied and grabbed his hand to lead him back out on the sidewalk.

He admired the buildings, leaning against me slightly to make his limp not as noticeable. I led him into the closest department store.

“Act like a normal guy with your normal girl,” I told him quietly as we walked in.

He nodded. “How was your day?” he asked curiously.

I smiled up at him. “It was actually really good. I got paid and I thought I’d treat you with whatever you want,” I explained and looked around the store.

“You need something new too, sweetie,” he told me.

“I’m sure I’ll find something. But you get you something,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma-,” he started but stopped himself.

“Come on, I want to see you in that,” I commented and pointed at a blue shirt hanging up on one of the racks.

“Of course,” he said and pulled away to take it down.

I took it from him and held it up against his chest with a smile and nod. “Yeah, you would look great in that,” I told him.

He laughed a little. “Are you sure?”

“Of course and we’ll find you some new jeans to go with it,” I explained.

He nodded and walked around the store, acting like a normal person just shopping. He looked through racks and pulled out a dark pair.

“What about this?” he asked curiously.

I took them and held them under the shirt. I nodded and smiled bigger at him. “Perfect,” I replied.

“Now for you,” he said with an excited grin and walked across the store to the women's section.

He looked around before finding a blue, gray sweater with stripes that had different thicknesses.

“You like that?” I asked curiously.

He smiled genuinely and nodded.

“Alright,” I said nodding and took it from him.

“I suppose you'll be better at finding your own jeans,” he commented.

“You can still look if you’d like,” I said with a shrug and started looking through all the different sizes and colors.

“I always get your jeans a size too small,” he said, shaking his head at himself.

“At least you don’t get a size too big. That’d be an insult,” I commented with a smile and picked up a random pair.

“That's true,” he said nodding and looked through the racks, grazing his fingers across the materials.

I held up the pair of jeans to my hips. They seemed alright. “I think these will work,” I told him.

He smiled over at me. “I like them.”

“Awesome, let’s go try all of this on then,” I told him and offered my free hand.

He took it and squeezed my hand. I led him to the back where the different changing rooms were.

“Try it on then come out to let me see,” I told him.

He nodded and took the clothes from me. He walked into the changing room. He changed pretty fast and walked out.

“Do you like it?” he asked and spun around a little, laughing.

“Of course, you look great,” I told him with a smile, laughing at him.

“Your turn,” he told me.

“Alright, stay here,” I told him and went into the changing room. I quickly changed into the sweater and the jeans. They were a little big but I walked out anyways to show him.

“Your jeans look big,” he told me and walked over.

“I guess I should have let you pick them out,” I commented laughing a little.

He smiled and nodded. He walked behind me and checked the size. “I'll grab another pair,” he told me and walked off.

I watched him walk over to get me another pair carefully. I turned around to look at myself in the mirror. I surprised myself, almost forgetting what I looked like. I examined myself slowly. Dark hair, gray eyes, tan skin, fit looking.

I didn't realize he had walked up behind me until he kissed the top of my head. “Do you see the beautiful girl?” he asked sweetly.

I laughed a little and turned to look at him. “Thank you for getting the jeans,” I told him and grabbed them from him to go back into the changing room quickly. I changed and could tell that these fit much better. I put the gun in the back of my pants and slipped the knives I always carried around in my back pocket. I walked back out and smiled at him.

He offered me his hands with a smile. I took his hands and smiled bigger.

“Have I ever told you that blue is such a wonderful color on you?” I asked curiously.

“No, Ma'am,” he told me with a smile. “I've only ever worn black.”

“You should wear blue, it’s very nice,” I told him.

“I will,” he told me nodding. “You never answered my question.”

“Did I not?” I asked.

He smiled and kissed my forehead lightly. “Did you see the beautiful girl?” he asked sweetly.

“Are you talking about me looking in the mirror?” I asked and laughed. “You can be so cheesy sometimes,” I commented.

He shrugged. “Sorry,” he replied and pulled away.

I took our old clothes. “Come on,” I urged and held his hand to lead him towards the exit.

We slipped out without a problem. There were so many people, the owner probably didn't even see us come in.

“So the tracker?” he asked nervously.

“Come on,” I told him again, not looking forward to it.

“I don't like when you don't answer me,” he said softly. “That always means something bad.”

I led him into an alley and looked at him carefully. “You might want to lay down,” I told him.

He pulled off his shirt and held it nervously. “This is going to hurt, isn't it?”

“Pay attention because you’re going to have to do the same to me. I’ll take us to a hospital once we’re done,” I told him.

“I really didn't like that answer,” he told me quietly and laid down.

I took a deep breath and took out one of my knives to kneel beside him carefully.

“I don't know if I can hurt you,” he told me softly, looking at the knife.

“You won’t,” I promised.

“This will hurt you,” he said softly.

“It’ll be okay, I’ve had my fair share of cutting people open and them living,” I told him.

“Not convincing,” he told me and placed a chunk of his shirt in his mouth to bare down on. I swallowed hard before carefully tracing the scar on his chest. It should be easy, it’s right under the skin. I put pressure on the blade to sink into him slightly.

He made a whimpering sound and started breathing hard. I cut out his scar and dug the knife in a little to pry the tracker out. He pressed his head against the concrete hard, shaking ever so slightly. I finally got it out and tossed it to the side.

“Are you okay?” I asked and reached out to touch his face but my hands were covered in blood. I pulled away quickly.

He nodded, but didn't sit up or pull the shirt out of his mouth.

“Here,” I said and took his old shirt to wrap it around his chest tightly. “I can take mine out,” I told him and pulled my shirt over my head.

“Are you sure?” he asked, pulling the shirt out of his mouth slightly. I could tell he was hurting by his voice.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and wiped my knife on my jeans before doing the same thing I did on him except on me. While I was prying the tracker out, I felt the knife slip slightly, digging deeper. I winced and watched way too much blood ooze out.

“Reese, I told you I could do it,” Odin said quickly. He sat up and grabbed my old shirt.

“It’s okay,” I assured him and got the tracker out. I looked up at him and felt dizzy.

“No, no it isn't,” he told me and pressed my shirt against the wound. “Come on.”

I stood up slowly and winced hard. I watched my vision sway slightly and I felt like I was going to be sick.

He bent down and grabbed his new shirt before scooping me off the ground.

“Hospital,” he told me and walked out of the alley quickly. “Where is it?”

“It’s the white building with blue lights,” I explained and squeezed my eyes shut tight so I didn’t have to watch.

He jogged down the street and into a bright building.

“How can I help you, Sir?” a woman asked sweetly.

“We were attacked in the alley, they cut a chunk of our chest out,” he said quickly. “She’s bleeding really badly.”

“Alright, Sir, right this way,” she told him and I heard her walk off. I opened my eyes as Odin followed her into a white room with a table in the middle of it. “Set her here and I’ll take you to your room.”

“Wait, can't I stay with her?” he asked nervously.

“You’ll be able to see her after we’ve fixed you two up,” she explained.

I tried to say something, tell him that it would be okay but my eyes closed and I felt myself go limp.

I sat on the edge of a table, examining everything around me. The room was white and extremely advanced looking. I really had no idea what was happening or where I was.

The doctor had come in, rubbed something on the wound, and left. My chest tingled ever so slightly.

I kept getting odd looks, I realized it was because of my accent after a while. I tried to stay quiet so they wouldn't ask any questions about me and where I came from.

Then they'd inform the military, they'd shoot me on spot. Probably not in the head either.

I rubbed the spot where Reese had held the gun up against me. That had been the most terrifying moment of my entire life. I just kept waiting for it. It never happened though. I pulled my hand away and just held it in my lap.

After a while, the doctor strolled back in to examine me.

“How do you feel?” he asked curiously.

“Better, thank you, Sir,” I told him with a nod. He had fixed up my ankle too.

“You're welcome. Would you like to see the girl you came in with?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“Follow me,” he said and turned to walk out the door, holding it open for me.

I hopped off the table and grabbed my shirt before walking out into the hallway with him.

“She's okay, right?” I asked softly.

“She's fine, the bleeding stopped and we gave her some more to replace the blood she lost. She's just tired,” he explained.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod.

He led me into a room with a white bed against the wall. She was curled up in the bed wearing a light blue gown.

I walked over to the edge of the bed and grabbed her hand to hold carefully. She was okay. I just didn't like seeing her like this.

“I'll leave you two alone. Call if you need anything,” the doctor said before walking out of the room.

I wanted her to wake up. I wanted to leave. The military would find our discarded trackers and probably come here first. I squeezed her hand a little.

She squeezed my hand back and her eyes fluttered open slowly.

I smiled. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Good,” she said sleepily. “How are you?”

“Good, that healing stuff is pretty awesome,” I told her.

She nodded in agreement. “I'm sorry I cut your chest open,” she told me softly.

“It's fine, you had to,” I told her and rubbed where it used to be. “It's all healed now anyways.”

“Good,” she said nodding and stretched carefully.

“We have to go soon,” I reminded her. “This'll be the first place they check.”

“I know,” she replied and sat up.

“Where are your clothes?” I asked slowly. Why was she in a gown?

She looked down and sighed. She looked around the room. “They're right there,” she said pointing at a chair in the corner.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and walked over to retrieve them. Why do people like undressing everyone? It didn't make any sense. I handed them to her with a smile.

“Thank you, Sir,” she told me and looked down at the sweater she was holding.

“They didn't take the necklace, did they?” I asked nervously.

She reached into her gown to take the necklace out. “No, Sir,” she assured me.

“Good,” I said nodding and looked down.

She crawled off the bed and turned around to change quickly. I felt my face burn and I swallowed hard.

“We should try and get some of that healing stuff,” I mentioned.

“You want to try and steal from the hospital?” she asked.

“I don't know,” I said nervously. “It would help.”

“We can try but I don't know this place. I don't know where it would be,” she mentioned.

I bit my lip. “Maybe it's a bad idea.”

“Let's just get out of here,” she told me and offered a smile.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I told her with a nod.

She nodded back and held out her hand. I took it and wrapped my arms around her instead. I almost lost her. She wrapped her arms around me as well and nuzzled into me slightly.

I breathed out shakily. “I was so terrified,” I admitted and clutched her tighter.

“It’s okay now,” she promised.

I nodded and buried my face into her neck.

“It’s okay,” she repeated softly and held me tighter.

I trembled slightly, but pulled away. “Yeah, I know,” I told her nodding. I held her hand tightly.

“Come on, let’s go and find somewhere safe to stay,” she told me and squeezed my hand.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied, squeezing her hand back.

She squeezed my hand again and led me out of the room and down the hall towards the exit.

“Won't they notice we’re gone?” I asked curiously.

“If we tell them we’re leaving then they’ll try to make us pay,” she replied.

“That's true,” I replied and rubbed my chest. We'd have to get money somehow.

She looked around a little as we walked out of the hospital. The lady at the front desk didn’t even question us.

I let out a sigh of relief and stopped walking to throw on my shirt quickly. “What now?” I asked her.

“Depends,” she said and looked around.

“On?” I asked and grabbed her hand again.

“Do you want to stay in the city or run through the desert?” she asked.

“What's safer?” I asked curiously.

“I’m not sure. Either way we can start a new life. It just depends on what kind of life you would like,” she explained.

Starting over, again. “Let's just hide for the evening, then decide in the morning,” I told her.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod. “Let’s go find a place to stay. They’ll check the alleys so we can’t stay there.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” I told her and thought about it. “Are there any hotels in Princeton?”

“Yes, Sir, come on,” she said and led me down the sidewalk.

We got to the hotel and I examined it carefully. “Top floor is best,” I told her.

She nodded. “I’ll get the person behind the desk away and you get a key,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied.

We walked up to the building. It was really tall and silver with a ton of windows. It made me feel small. We walked over to the office area, a completely glass area holding up the whole building it seemed. I could see a woman typing at a desk.

Reese smiled at me before walking up to the desk and started talking to the lady. She nodded and walked out from behind the desk to follow her through a door on the left wall.

I walked over to the desk and looked around for cameras. None. I walked behind the desk and saw silver cards along the wall. I grabbed one and tucked it in my back pocket before slipping out the door.

I watched Reese walk out with her hair done in a fancy way with a smile. The lady walked back behind the desk and smiled at her before going back to her work.

I waited until she walked out of the door before holding up the key. “Your room, my lady,” I told her with a dramatic bow.

“Thank you, Sir,” she said laughing. “I told the lady that we were staying here but we were going out. So we can come back in about half an hour.”

I nodded and tucked the key back in my pocket. “Would you like to go somewhere?” I asked curiously.

“I was going to take you on a walk through the city. Since you love cities so much,” she offered.

I smiled big and nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“Let’s go then,” she said smiling back and offered her hand.

I took her hand with a big grin and squeezed it. She squeezed my hand back and started leading me through the city. I gazed up at all the buildings, they were all lit up and I could see people walking around in there offices and rooms. I felt like a tourist, looking around like I hadn’t seen anything like this before.

The streets were lit up too. People walked around, some together, some by themselves. A lot of the ones by themselves were talking, but no one was there. I thought it was strange, but I assumed it had to do with some sort of technology. All these people couldn’t be insane and talking to themselves.

There were little stores everywhere too. They were on the ground floor and there were even some on top. Most of the little stores had rooms above them with people walking around. It was all very overwhelming and a bit confusing.

“Is there anywhere you’d like to go in particular?” she asked me curiously after a while.

“No, Ma’am,” I told her and shook my head. “I’m just trying to take everything in.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and looked around.

I admired the people. They all looked similar, but a few sounded different. I smiled a little, I liked hearing the different accents. This section of Princeton was a lot nicer than the side we had walked in on. It was brighter, friendlier, fancier. I wondered what it would be like to live in such a fancy city. Sinta was nice, but this was completely different.

“My first mission was there,” she commented and pointed at a tall building beside us.

I glanced over to examine it. I nodded. “Did you have a partner or was it just you?”

“It was just me,” she told me. “At least half of it was by myself.”

“Half of it?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, the person I was paired with was killed before we could finish,” she explained.

I nodded. I would have been terrified if she had been killed during my first mission.

“Then I shot my first person on the roof of that building,” she continued and pointed at another building.

I laughed a little. “How sweet.”

“I went on a lot of missions in Princeton because I was too young to send anywhere else,” she explained.

I nodded. “Is it pretty in those buildings?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, very pretty,” she told me.

I smiled and tried to imagine something. I wanted to go inside and explore everything. I felt so much better now. I realized how much freedom I suddenly had. I squeezed her hand tightly and kept admiring everything.

“I have a feeling that we’re going to be staying in the city,” she commented and nudged me slightly.

I laughed a little. “Oh, I don’t know. It depends on our income.”

“Income?” she asked curiously.

“Money,” I replied.

“Oh, right,” she said nodding.

“We do need jobs, we can’t steal forever. That’s no way to live,” I told her.

She nodded again and thought about it. “We’ll talk about it in the morning,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

“Where in the city would you like to walk?” she asked curiously.

I looked around and felt nervous. “I-I don’t know,” I told her slowly.

“We’ve walked through all the nice parts of the city so would you like to go back to the hotel or walk through another part again?” she asked.

“Let’s just head back, I want to see what our room looks like,” I replied.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod and squeezed my hand as we started to head back.

Once we got back to the hotel, I led her into the elevator and up to the top floor. I pulled out the key and found the room using the numbers. I slid the key through the lock and the door opened.

I must have grabbed an extremely expensive room key, because the inside of the room was nicer than my old house. Not that, that was too difficult to do. There was a huge bed, a fridge and oven in the corner, a desk, a screen up against the wall. I admired the bright walls. It was a faint orange color splotched with white. There was even a glass door across the room, leading out onto a balcony.

She let go of my hand to walk in and examine the room carefully.

“This looks expensive,” I told her and shut the door behind us.

“Is that bad?” she asked.

“No, no, I’m just surprised,” I explained and placed the key on the desk.

“Alright,” she said nodding and opened the fridge. There was a bunch of water bottles inside but nothing else. She closed it and walked over to the glass door to gaze out of.

I examined the carpet and walked over to her. I noticed a door off to the side and assumed that was the restroom. I walked up beside her and looked out over the glowing city.

“They should stop looking for us after about a week. They don’t really want to catch someone just to kill them. They would just leave us to die on our own,” she explained. “Unless they really want to kill us.”

“Nice to know,” I said softly.

She smiled a little. “We can start a new life in a week. Where we don’t have to be scared of being hunted,” she mentioned.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I told her and walked off to grab a water bottle out of the fridge.

“I have a question,” she told me after a while.

“Yes, Ma’am?” I asked her.

“How are we going to make money?” she asked.

“Get a job,” I said with a shrug.

“What kind of job are we going to get?” she asked.

“Whatever is open,” I replied and found myself thinking about the President of Terra. He offered me a job in the capital. If I had a job at the capital, Reese wouldn’t even have to work.

“Yes, Sir,” she said and thought hard about it.

I walked over to her with a smile. “Don’t worry about it now, we’ll just relax,” I told her and reached up to trace her jaw lightly.

“Yes, Sir,” she repeated and smiled back a little.

“Are you tired?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” she said laughing a little.

I smiled at her. “Do you want to lay down?”

“Sounds good,” she replied with a nod. “You can have the bed,” she told me.

I smirked a little. “That’s not how that works,” I told her.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “There’s only one bed. You can have it. I can sleep on a floor.”

“You can lay in the bed with me,” I assured her.

“Oh, okay,” she said nodding.

“It’s sort of a thing that couples do,” I explained.

“Why?” she asked curiously.

“It’s just another form of affection, you get to fall asleep with the other person and stay with them all night,” I explained and grabbed her hand with my free hand.

“Alright,” she said nodding and squeezed my hand.

“Is that okay?” I asked her curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

I smiled and led her over to the bed, I set my water on the bedside table and slipped off my boots before crawling under the sheets. They were silky, just like the ones at the capital. I grinned and placed my hand behind my head, enjoying myself.

She sat down on the edge of the bed to take off her boots and looked down at the sheets with confusion.

“Come on, you’ll like it,” I assured her and wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her beside me.

“They feel weird,” she commented but laid beside me. She ran her hands over the sheets gently and examined them.

“Silk,” I explained and leaned against her, glad that I didn't have to worry about someone walking in on us.

“Oh okay,” she said nodding.

“It's expensive stuff,” I commented and smiled at her.

“I won't mess them up then,” she said and pulled her hand away from the sheets.

“You won't mess them up,” I assured her and sat up a little to admire the room again.

“Yes, Sir,” she said and nuzzled her face into the pillow.

I laughed a little at her. I wrapped my arms around her again quickly to pull her in my lap. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my neck.

“I told you it would be okay,” I told her and rubbed her back in slow circles.

“I'm sorry I didn't believe you,” she told me softly.

“It's okay,” I promised and kissed up her neck.

“It is now,” she replied.

I laughed against her neck and squeezed her tightly.

“I almost killed you,” she continued softly.

“Reese, it's okay. We can start over, it doesn't matter what you did,” I promised.

“Okay,” she said quietly and leaned into me slightly..

“We both get to be what we want to be,” I continued and placed my hand on the back of her head to hold her close.

“I don’t know what I want to be,” she replied.

“You don't have to know yet,” I promised.

“I don’t even know what I could do. I’ve only ever been a soldier,” she told me.

“We’ll figure it out,” I promised and leaned up against the headboard so I could relax a little more.

“Yes, Sir,” she said and nuzzled into me.

I closed my eyes and felt her heart race faintly. I smiled, she was still nervous around me. I wondered how long that would last. She sighed a little and nuzzled her nose against my jaw gently.

“Are you okay?” I asked just to check.

“Yes, Sir,” she assured me.

I nodded and ran my hand up her shirt to trace down her spine gently. She shuddered ever so slightly.

“That’s weird,” she commented.

“Bad weird?” I asked and hesitated.

“I don’t think so, it just feels weird,” she told me.

“Okay,” I said softly and continued running my fingers along her spine.

“Is this a form of affection?” she asked curiously.

“In a way,” I replied. “I just like touching,” I explained.

“Why?” she asked pulling away enough to look up at me.

I shrugged, not really knowing why. I never questioned it. “I like being close to you, it makes me happy and feel safe.”

“Do you like me touching you?” she asked curiously.

I nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

She nodded and hesitated before nuzzling her nose against my jaw again gently. I smiled and leaned into her. She hesitated again and reached up to trace the muscles in my neck gently.

“Do you like that? Or are you just doing it because I like it?” I asked curiously.

“I don’t know if I like it. But I know that you like it so,” she told me.

I nodded and kissed her cheek lightly before laying my forehead on her shoulder. She buried her face into my hair and sighed happily.

We stayed like that for a long time before I pulled away to glance around the room. Where was the light switch?

“What’s wrong?” she asked sleepily.

“How do you turn off the lights?” I asked curiously.

She crawled out of my lap and reached over to the bedside table. She grabbed a remote and examined it before pressing a button, turning off the lights.

“Like that,” I said and nodded. I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it on the floor before laying down.

She laid down next to me and hesitated before tracing my chest gently. I smiled and placed my arm under her neck so I could hold her. I flipped onto my side and placed my chin on top of her head gently.

She closed her eyes and stayed quiet for a moment. “I have another question,” she said, sounding like she was half asleep.

“Yes, Ma’am?” I asked softly.

She said something but it just sounded like jibberish. I laughed and rubbed the back of her head.

“Try again,” I said playfully.

She leaned into my hand and her breathing slowed before she could try to ask.

I figured I'd ask in the morning. I nuzzled against her and held her tightly. Before long I dozed off as well.

I walked down the sidewalk quickly before the store owner noticed that what I had taken. I made sure to seem normal and walked back into the hotel. I went into the elevator and back up to our room. I walked in and Odin was still asleep. Good. I don’t think he likes stealing.

I walked over to the stove and took out the food I had gotten. The store owner told me they were eggs and bread. I wondered how hard it was to cook those things. I bit my lip as my stomach growled again. I took out an egg and held it in my hand carefully. How was I supposed to do this?

I sighed and put the egg back. I grabbed a piece of bread and tore a piece off to eat. Great. I got food but I don’t even know how to cook it. I sat down at the foot of the bed and ate my bread with another sigh.

Odin groaned a little and shifted around in bed. I looked over my shoulder at him. I wondered if he could cook. I hoped so. I shouldn’t wake him though, he needs to sleep. I turned back around and looked at the glass door. I stood up to walk out the door and stepped out onto the balcony.

It was warm outside as usual but there was a slight breeze. I grabbed the railing with my free hand and looked out over the city.

After a while, the glass door slid open and Odin walked out.

“Good morning,” he greeted sweetly as he stepped behind me. He placed his hands on my hips and kissed my cheek.

“Good morning,” I replied and leaned into him slightly.

“How did you sleep?” he asked curiously and rested his chin on top of my head.

“Great, that bed is a whole lot comfier than the ones I’ve slept on my whole life,” I explained.

“I slept on a bed like that when I was at the capital,” he mentioned.

“I didn’t think I could get that good of sleep,” I commented.

“Incredible, isn't it? People sleep on beds like that every single night,” he told me.

“I envy them,” I told him.

“Me too,” he agreed. He stayed quiet for a moment, then laughed a little. “Are you eating a slice of bread?”

“Yes, Sir, I didn’t know how to cook the eggs I got,” I admitted and looked down.

“You got eggs?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir, they’re sitting on the stove,” I told him.

“Oh, awesome,” he said excitedly and walked back inside.

I sighed with relief and followed him. “You know how to cook?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied and started looking through the cabinets.

“The only food is the stuff that I got. Eggs and bread,” I explained.

“And milk,” he said, seeming surprised.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He picked up the carton and examined it. “Cool,” he said nodding and set it to the side. He examined the stove after placing a pan on it. He reached out and ran his finger across a screen. “I think that's how that works,” he commented and grabbed a bowl.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t cook it,” I told him and walked over to watch him.

“Don't worry about it,” he assured me. “Do you like your eggs scrambled or as an omlette?”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Scrambled is like chopped up pieces and an omelette is one big piece,” he explained and grabbed an egg. He tapped it on the counter the broke it over the bowl.

“Oh, I think we usually had scrambled,” I commented and thought about it for a moment. New start. “I’ll take an omelette.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied and cracked another egg before grabbing a fork. He stirred it up and put his hand over the pan before dumping the mixture into it.

I watched him carefully, memorizing his movements so I could do it later for him.

“We always got eggs whenever Mama got paid,” he told me as he grabbed a utensil out of a drawer.

“Did you make eggs for them?” I asked curiously.

“No, she made them for us,” he replied. “I just watched.”

“Is that how you know how to do it now?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“I’m glad you know how,” I told him.

“Me too,” he agreed and folded the egg over itself.

“Do you know how to cook anything else?” I asked.

“I can't do anything Gourmet, but yeah,” he said nodding.

“Like what?” I asked curiously.

“Depends on the materials, I can be creative,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He reached up and grabbed a plate out of the cabinet. He set it on the counter and scooped the egg out of the pan and onto the plate.

“Perfect,” he said dramatically and pressed all his fingers together by the tips and kissed them. Once he kissed them he expanded them back to normal.

I laughed a little. “Is that a form of affection too?” I asked.

“No, it's just me being dramatic,” he told me. “Go ahead and eat,” he told me and started cracking another egg. “Oh, wait,” he said and grabbed the milk to open it. He poured some in a glass and set it beside my plate along with a fork. “Okay, now you can eat.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I told him with a smile and picked up my fork to start eating.

“You're welcome, now go sit down,” he told me with a nudge. “We've got a table for a reason.”

“Oh, sorry, Sir,” I told him quickly and took my plate and drink to the table to sit.

“It's fine,” he assured me and finished cracking another egg. He started mixing it all up.

“Do you think you could teach me how to cook?” I asked as I started to eat.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied.

“Thank you, Sir,” I told him.

“You're welcome,” he replied and poured the eggs into the pan.

I smiled at him and continued eating.

He finished cooking and sat down beside me to eat himself. I smiled a little bigger.

“Is this what being normal is like?” I asked curiously.

He smiled and nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

I nodded back. “Is what we did in the store normal too? Go shopping together?”

“Apart from the stealing, yes, Ma'am,” he replied with a smile.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and smiled big down at my plate.

“You're very smiley,” he commented.

“I like being normal,” I admitted softly without looking up.

“Me too,” he agreed. “Very simple and pleasant.”

“Yes, Sir,” I agreed with a nod.

He leaned over to kiss my cheek lightly.

I smiled up at him. “Do you want to be normal?” I asked.

“We can be,” he said nodding.

“Do you want to?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

“Alright,” I said with a nod and smiled bigger.

He smiled and finished eating. He drank the remainder of his drink before standing up.

“I'll take your plate,” he told me.

“Thank you, Sir,” I said handing him my plate and took a sip of my drink.

He nodded slightly and took our plates to the sink. I watched him cut on the water and he started washing them off.

“Do you want me to go get lunch and dinner as well?” I asked and stood up to rinse it my cup.

“Up to you,” he replied.

“I can if you want me to,” I said with a shrug. “You don't seem to be too keen on the idea of stealing.”

“I only like to do it when it's necessary,” he explained.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“I can get us some money,” he assured me.

“How? Are you going to get a job?” I asked curiously.

“I can do a few odd jobs,” he told me. “Enough to get some decent food for meals.”

“Do you want me to get a job too?” I asked.

“You don't have to, not yet at least,” he told me.

“I don't think staying here all day and night will be very effective,” I mentioned.

“Yeah,” he said and dried off the plates and his hands.

“I just don't know what kind of job I could get,” I told him.

He put away the plates and leaned against the counter, looking at me curiously.

“How good are you at acting?” he asked curiously.

“I like to think I'm pretty good. Depends on what I have to do,” I explained.

“You could always go around collecting money for a women's shelter or an orphanage,” he mentioned. “Mama had me do that when it got really bad. You'd just have to appear differently.”

“Appear differently?” I asked curiously.

“Disguise yourself,” he corrected himself.

“What do I need to look like?” I asked.

“Depends, for the orphanage thing you'll need to look ragged and poor, for the women's shelter you'll just need to not look like yourself,” he explained.

“Not like myself?” I asked and looked down at myself.

“So they don't recognize you,” he explained.

I nodded. “I'll just look poor,” I told him with a shrug and hesitated. “How do I look poor?”

He smiled at me slightly. “Don't worry, I'll make sure you look the part.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He nodded and walked back towards the bed. He examined the TV on the wall curiously as he pulled on his shirt.

“Something wrong?” I asked walking over to him.

“Is that a computer?” he asked pointing at the screen.

“Kind of. It's called a television, or a TV,” I explained and walked over to the bedside table to grab the remote. “Watch,” I told him and turned the TV on.

He jumped a little. “I didn't know it actually did anything,” he told me laughing.

“It has different channels showing different things,” I explained and flipped through the channels.

“What is it for?” he asked curiously.

“Entertainment,” I told him.

“Strange,” he replied and walked up to the screen to examine closely.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied.

He reached up and grazed his fingers across the screen. “I don't get it,” he told me after a while and turned around.

I chuckled a little. “Internal beams of light hitting hundreds of receptors on the inside of the screen, making it light up,” I explained.

“Why do you need entertainment though?” he asked.

“For people that don't have anything else to do. Or don't think they have anything else to do,” I told him.

He looked back at it. “So this is something people actually pay for?”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

He looked back at me, looking irritated. “There's people in the world starving, but somehow that's what people waste their money on?”

I walked over to him. “Hey, don't be irritated. It's okay,” I promised and held out my hand.

He nodded and took my hand, he used his other hand to push into his stomach.

“You still hungry?” I asked curiously.

He shook his head and looked at the ground. “No, Ma'am.”

“What's wrong?” I asked softly.

“Just thinking,” he told me softly and let the hand that wasn't holding mine fall to his side.

I hesitated but grabbed his other hand. I lifted both of them and kissed them gently, hoping it'd help.

“Sorry,” he told me softly.

“It's okay,” I assured him.

He nodded and squeezed my hands. “You can turn it off, I have no interest in it.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and pulled away to walk back over to the table to turn the TV off.

He rubbed the back of his head and walked over to the bed. He flopped back onto it and closed his eyes.

“Are you going back to bed?” I asked curiously.

“No, Ma'am. Just relaxing,” he replied.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and looked around the room for something to do.

“When are you going to go out?” he asked curiously.

“I can go out now if you'd like,” I told him.

“I was actually thinking that it may be better to go at night,” he mentioned. “Just so bystanders don't get suspicious.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied. “That makes sense.”

He nodded and sat up. “Then I should probably go find something to do,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated.

He stood up and walked over to kiss the top of my head. “I'll be back before dark,” he told me.

“Wait, what do I do?” I asked.

“I don't know, I sort of cleaned up our mess from earlier. Maybe you can go get us some more stuff, just to get us going,” he told me.

“But you told me to do that tonight,” I told him.

“I meant stealing,” he replied.

“Oh okay, what do you want me to get?” I asked.

“Whatever you think we need, mostly food and clothing,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“Be safe,” he told me softly.

“I will,” I promised.

He leaned down to kiss me softly. I kissed him back carefully and wrapped my arms around his waist, suddenly not wanting him to leave. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed me deeper. I got onto my toes to kiss him easier and smiled a little.

He laughed a little and pulled away slightly. “I'm coming back,” he promised softly.

“Be careful,” I told him and kissed him again.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied between kisses.

I held him tighter and kissed him deeper, trying to get him to stay for some reason. He kissed me back and pulled me up against him.

“You know, this is why we stay in the same bed at night, right?” he asked, laughing a little.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“We can do all this at night when we’re lying together,” he replied. “So you can meet your quota.”

“We can do that?” I asked carefully.

“Yeah,” he said laughing a little. “That's why I was all over you last night.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” I said softly.

“You didn't know, it's okay,” he assured me with a kiss. “Plus, there's always tonight.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and felt my heart race a little faster.

He seemed to notice and smirked. “What's wrong?” he teased.

“Nothing, Sir,” I said quickly.

He laughed. “You're lucky I have to go, otherwise I'd mess with you,” he commented.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and held him tighter.

“I love you,” he told me with a smile.

“I love you,” I told him and kissed him again quickly.

“I've got to get going,” he told me and pulled away slowly.

“Yes, Sir,” I said and stepped away from him.

He smiled and turned to walk out the door. I watched him walk off and looked around the room. I waited until I assumed he'd be out of the hotel before heading out myself to get us some stuff.

I headed back to the hotel excitedly. I had managed to make fifty dollars doing miscellaneous jobs for people. It was starting to get dark and the cash felt heavy in my back pocket, but so did my knives.

I got back to our room without any problems and knocked on the door lightly. I didn't want to freak her out, but I had left the key with her.

I heard her walk up to the door but it didn't open.

“Oh, please let me in, pretty lady,” I begged dramatically.

She opened the door with a nervous smile and put her knife back into her pocket. “Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey,” I greeted back with a smile. “May I join you this fine evening?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and gave me a look of confusion but smiled at me.

“Just being dramatic,” I assured her and walked into the room. Once she shut and locked the door, I pulled out the cash from my pocket. I held it up so she could see.

“Is that what you made?” she asked curiously.

“For the day,” I told her with a shrug and counted it again, just to make sure it was still fifty dollars.

“Is that what you're going to be making everyday?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Until I get a real job, it'll vary,” I replied and handed it to her. “We need a place to stash it.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and turned to walk over to the bed. She lifted the mattress and set the cash under it.

I nodded in approval and stretched, sighing sleepily.

“Are you okay?” she asked walking back over to me.

“Just worn out, I ran a lot,” I explained.

“You should lay down, I'll go out to get some more money,” she told me.

“Remember, you can't do the same houses every night. Maybe only once a week. The first time you ask everyone will probably be when you get the most money,” I told her, recalling how Mama had taught me.

“Yes, Sir, I just have to look poor,” she mentioned.

I nodded and walked over to the bed. I pulled off my boots and set them down. “Do we have anything for dinner?” I asked curiously and looked over at her.

“Yes, Sir, it's in the fridge. I got what looked the best,” she explained.

“What did you get?” I asked curiously and walked over to the fridge.

“Uh, I don't know how to say it,” she replied.

“Okay,” I said slowly and opened to fridge. I saw a bunch of cans of food and a couple boxes of noodles. “Noodles don't go in the fridge unless they're cooked,” I told her and took out the boxes.

“Oh, okay. I'm sorry, Sir,” she told me softly.

“It's okay, everything is new. I get it,” I assured her and went to put the noodles away in the cabinet.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and walked over to the fridge. “Does all of this go in the fridge?”

“I'll sort through it, but probably not,” I replied.

“Alright,” she said nodding and stepped away and held her hands.

“Reese, it's okay,” I promised her softly and walked over. “At least you knew to put the milk in the fridge,” I told her as I looked in it.

“Yes, Sir, I'll let you do that though,” she told me softly.

I nodded and smiled at her. “The quicker you get back, the more time we’ll have together,” I told her sweetly.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and hesitated. “How do I look poor again?”

I closed the fridge. “Come on,” I told her, offering her my hand.

She walked over to take my hand carefully.

“Why are you always so careful?” I asked curiously as I walked her to the kitchen table.

“I don't know, Sir, I'm sorry,” she told me with a shrug.

“It's okay,” I assured her and stood her beside the table. “Do we have any spare clothes?”

“Just our black clothes,” she replied.

I nodded. “Where are they?” I asked.

“In the bathroom,” she told me.

I nodded and walked to the bathroom. I grabbed my old shirt and tore it a little before walking back out to her.

“Why'd you tear it?” she asked quickly with wide eyes.

“Poor people wear the same clothes for a long time, wears holes,” I replied.

“Oh, alright,” she said nodding.

“Put that on,” I told her, holding it out.

She nodded again and took it. She set it down to pull off her shirt and replaced it with my old one. I found myself staring and shook my head. I'd have to explain all of that too. Not now.

“Okay, pull your hair down,” I told her.

She did as she was told and looked up at me.

“No shoes,” I continued.

“Yes, Sir,” she said and sat down to untie and pull off her boots.

“How pathetic can you act?” I asked curiously.

“How pathetic should I be?” she asked.

“Pretty pathetic,” I replied. “You've been hungry for a long time, there's tons of kids there too. At the orphanage that is.”

She nodded and thought for a moment before looking up with slightly watery eyes. Her lip trembled every now and then. “All I need is a few dollars for a meal,” she begged softly.

“You've got a little brother too,” I told her. “He's five.”

“Could you spare a couple more dollars for my brother?” she asked quietly, like she was ashamed for asking.

It felt too real to me. I nodded and swallowed hard. “Yeah, that'll work.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and smiled at me.

I smiled back a little and walked back to the fridge to sort through everything.

“I'll be back in about an hour,” she told me and I heard her stand up to walk towards the door.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I said nodding.

The door opened and she walked out closing it quietly behind her. I sighed a little and picked out everything that didn't need to be in the fridge. I took it to the cabinets and stacked everything.

I decided I'd wait until she got home to eat. I'd wait a little bit before starting up dinner. I went to the fridge and took out the milk. I had forgotten what it tasted like until she had brought it.

I poured myself a little and put it away. I strolled onto the balcony to admire the city. I gazed out, wondering where Reese had gone. There were lots of neighborhoods and a ton of apartments. I'm sure we could get a decent amount before people got sick of her showing up.

I stayed out there for a long time before I went inside to start cooking dinner. I set my glass on the table and went to the stove to heat it up.

I grabbed a pot, filled it with water, and sat it on the stove to get it boiling. I grabbed a wooden spoon and a box of noodles.

The water had just started boiling when I heard a light knock on the door. Had it been an hour already? I completely lost track of time.

I poured the noodles into the pot and tossed the box in the trash before walking over to the door.

“Sir?” I heard Reese ask and knocked again after I didn't open it.

I opened it up barely and peeked out of the crack. “Yes?” I asked curiously.

She looked confused. “Dramatic?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I said laughing and let her in, strolling back to the kitchen to stir the noodles.

I heard her take a deep breath and exhaled. “It smells good,” she commented with a smile in her voice.

“It's just noodles,” I told her laughing.

“Are they not supposed to smell good?” she asked carefully.

“They can,” I replied, realizing that the noodles had some sort of seasoning in it.

“Alright,” she said nodding and sighed with relief.

I examined the pot and stirred it to make sure the noodles didn't stick.

“I made some money,” she mentioned.

“Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot to ask. How much?” I asked curiously.

She hesitated and pulled a wad of cash out to examine it. She ended up just hanging it to me with a smile. “That much,” she told me.

“Can you not count?” I asked curiously and took the money from her.

“Not very well,” she admitted.

“How high?” I asked and turned off the heat on the stove.

“About fifty, then I always lose count,” she explained. “It all starts to run together.”

I nodded. “Well count out how many fifties you have,” I told her and handed the wad back to her.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and started counting. She got through about half the stack before handing the counted money to me and started counting again.

I recounted, just to make sure. I had fifty. She handed the rest of the money over to me.

“That's not fifty, it's only thirty-three,” she told me.

“What's fifty plus thirty-three?” I asked her.

She thought hard about it and started tapping her fingers gently. “I don't know, Sir,” she told me softly.

“Well, think about it like this. What's five plus three?” I asked.

She tapped her fingers. “Eight,” she replied.

“Three plus zero?” I asked.

“Three,” she told me.

“So eighty...” I started slowly.

“Three?” she asked slowly.

I smiled. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“Alright,” she said nodding and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Are you hungry?” I asked and handed her the cash I was holding.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and took the money to put it under the mattress with the rest.

I split the noodles with her and brought her, her bowl.

“Here you go,” I told her, setting a fork near the bowl before sitting down with my food.

“Thank you, Sir,” she told me as she sat down and examined her food closely.

“You're welcome, Ma'am,” I replied and started eating.

She smiled up at me before picking up her fork and trying to scoop the noodles onto it.

“Stab it,” I explained.

She glanced up at me and hesitated before looking back down and stabbing a noodle hard.

“Not like you want to kill it, I already did that,” I teased.

“Oh,” she said nodding a little and stabbed it a little softer, looking up at me for approval.

“There you go, now scoop,” I explained and demonstrated.

She watched me before copying. She ate it and smiled a little. “I'm sorry,” she told me after she swallowed.

“You're fine,” I promised and started eating normally.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod and started eating as well, making sure to copy me.

I smiled at her sweetly as she ate. She was so sweet and it was interesting what she didn't know. I'd teach her though, it really wasn't a big deal.

She glanced up at me and saw me watching her and hesitated. “Am I doing it wrong?” she asked.

“No, Ma'am. I'm sorry, I was just admiring you,” I explained and looked back down at my bowl.

“Oh, alright,” she said nodding and went back to eating.

After she was done, I took our bowls to the sink to clean them out.

“Do you need any help?” she asked curiously.

“No, Ma'am,” I assured her.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and walked over to the bed.

I looked over at her with a smile, but looked back at the dishes I was cleaning. I dried, then put everything away.

“How often do I need to go out to get money?” she asked curiously.

“Not too often, people aren't going to give a lot if you show up every night,” I replied and walked over to the bed.

“I only went to one part of the city. I can go to another part tomorrow night,” she offered.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and pulled my shirt over my head.

“Are you going to go out everyday?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and crawled into bed.

“If we keep going out and getting money, we should be good soon,” she rambled.

“We should leave Princeton once we get enough money,” I mentioned and pulled the silky sheets across myself.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and examined the bed slowly.

“What is it?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing, Sir,” she assured me and laid down beside me.

I flipped onto my side and wrapped my arms around her. She placed her hands on my sides and nuzzled into my chest slightly. I smiled and closed my eyes with a happy sigh.

“Are you tired?” she asked softly.

“Not just yet,” I replied. “Are you?”

“No, Sir,” she said shaking her head.

I smiled and nuzzled against her. She stayed quiet and started to slowly trace my sides gently. I shuddered slightly and laughed nervously.

“Sorry, Sir,” she told me and laid her hand back on my side.

“No, it's okay,” I assured her quickly.

“Do you want me to do it again?” she asked.

“You can,” I told her.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and started tracing my side again.

I smiled and shuddered pleasantly. I leaned against her and kissed her cheek lightly. She smiled a little back and nuzzled into me. I pulled away enough to kiss her lips lightly. I could feel her get nervous but she kissed me back slowly.

“Just relax,” I told her softly and kissed her again. “It's only me.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said and took a deep breath.

I ran my fingers up the back of her shirt and traced up and down slowly. She shuddered slightly and leaned into me more. I pulled one hand out to lace my fingers in her hair, holding her close. I felt her heart race faintly but she seemed alright.

I laid my nose against hers lightly and kissed her softly. She kissed me back slowly and held my side a little tighter.

I propped myself up on my elbow so I could get to her better. I pulled her up against me roughly. She tensed up slightly in confusion but didn't pull away.

“It's okay,” I breathed and started kissing down her neck slowly.

I felt her swallow hard and carefully wrapped her arms around me. I crawled on top of her, making sure not to hurt her. I nuzzled my nose into her neck and kissed it softly.

“You're feeling very affectionate,” she commented softly.

“Is that alright?” I asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” she assured me.

“Good,” I breathed and kissed down her neck. Once I reached her collarbone, I kissed across that as well.

She shuddered again and tightened her grip on me slightly. I smiled and ran my nose across her collarbone gently. She stayed still for me but I felt her tremble ever so slightly.

I pulled away slightly. “Are you okay?” I asked softly.

“Yes, Sir, it just tickles,” she explained.

“Are you sure that's it?” I asked softly.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

I hesitated, but leaned back into her, kissing her softly. She placed her fingers under my chin and kissed me back. I ran my fingers under her shirt and up her sides slowly. I felt her hesitate but quickly started kissing me again.

I figured I was tickling her again and held her sides halfway up. I squeezed her slightly and smiled against her lips.

She pulled away slightly to breathe and smiled back a little.

I admired her. Her hair billowed around her face, almost framing it. I pulled away one hand to trace her jawline lightly.

She closed her eyes and breathed hard with a small smile.

“See, isn't it nice laying together?” I asked sweetly.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

“It's not just about this though, this is nice, but that's not what it’s all about,” I mentioned.

“What's it all about?” she asked opening her eyes to look at me.

“Being with one another. Being there for each other, even when things are bad or if they're good. Enjoying each other's company,” I listed. “We don't have to touch to love each other.”

“But you like touching,” she mentioned and reached up to hold my chin gently.

“Yes, Ma'am, I do. Do you?” I asked.

“I'm getting used to it,” she replied.

I nodded. “Is this too much all at once?” I asked.

“No, Sir,” she assured me.

I nodded again. “I didn't want to rush into everything and make it unpleasant for you.”

“I'm fine, Odin,” she promised.

I nodded and nuzzled my face back into her neck. I felt her heartbeat still going fast and she buried her face into my hair. I pulled her up against me, enjoying the warmth she put off.

She hesitated but pulled away to kiss my head gently. I moved so I was laying back on my side again and held her hips against me. She nuzzled her face into the side of my head and ran her fingers through my hair gently.

I smiled and held her tightly, closing my eyes.

“Is this what being normal is like too?” she asked softly after a while.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied.

“I like being normal,” she told me softly.

I smiled a little bigger and nodded. “Me too.”

She leaned into me more and nuzzled her nose against my ear gently. I rubbed her sides slowly and nuzzled back.

“You said earlier that we should leave Princeton,” she mentioned.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied. “We’re too close to the others, I don't want them finding us because we only went a city over.”

“Where would you like to go?” she asked.

“I don't know, not near Seemer though,” I replied, recalling what she told me about my father.

“Do you like the desert? Or do you want to go somewhere a little colder like Sinta?” she asked.

“Up to you,” I replied. “I'm fine either way.”

“What's it like living somewhere cold?” she asked curiously.

“I like it because it's almost refreshing,” I replied. “You do have to wear more clothing though.”

“Which do you prefer?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I like the cold, only because that's what I'm used to. You don't really sweat, so that's nice.”

“We can go somewhere cold,” she offered.

“As long as you want to,” I replied and nuzzled closer.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

I nodded and sighed sleepily. “Are you tired yet?”

“No, Sir,” she told me. “Are you?”

“No, Ma’am,” I lied, not wanting to just fall asleep on her.

She took a deep breath and stayed quiet for a moment. “Why do you smell good?” she asked curiously.

“What?” I asked laughing a little.

“You smell good,” she told me.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” I told her, laughing a little.

“You're welcome,” she replied, laughing a little as well.

“I don’t know why I smell good,” I answered her.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

“Glad I don’t smell bad,” I mentioned.

“Me too. Otherwise I wouldn't want to lay with you,” she mentioned.

I laughed. “Yeah, I understand.”

“I don't smell bad, do I?” she asked quickly.

“No, I’d tell you,” I assured her. “We do have a shower,” I commented and looked up. I probably needed a shower.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

“I should probably go wash off,” I mentioned and sat up a little.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding and nuzzled into the pillow.

I kissed the top of her head before crawling out of bed and heading over to the bathroom.

I went around the room collecting everything we might need. I had to gather everything up before Odin got here so we could leave as soon as possible. I had stolen two bags and some extra clothes for us.

I stuffed all of our food and clothes into the bags. That should be everything other than our money. I went over to the mattress to collect all the money we had made over the past week or so. I think Odin said it was five hundred dollars.

I stuffed half the wad in the bottom of my bag and the other half in the bottom of his bag. After I was done packing everything, I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him.

I pulled my wet hair into a ponytail. I had never had a real shower before, only a spout of water for five minutes. I stayed in the shower for a long time, soaking in the warm water. And the towels were so soft. I hoped we got to have those wherever we went.

I looked out the window and smiled. The sun was about to set. He should be here soon.

A few minutes later, I heard him knock on the door in the pattern we had made up.

I hopped off the bed and walked up to the door to open it for him with a smile. He smiled at me, I could tell he was holding something behind his back.

“Good evening,” he greeted sweetly.

“Hello,” I greeted back.

“Did you get everything packed?” he asked as he walked in.

“Yes, Sir, our bags are on the bed,” I replied.

He nodded and shut the door. “Here is the money,” he told me and pulled out a stack from his pocket to hand to me.

“How much?” I asked curiously.

“Seventy-five,” he replied.

“Sweet,” I praised and split the stack in half to pack out into the bottom of each of our bags.

“I got you something,” he mentioned.

“Did you?” I asked curiously and looked over my shoulder at him.

He smiled sheepishly and nodded, looking at the floor.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I didn’t pay for it,” he assured me quickly and looked back up.

“That's good, you don't have to buy me anything. You don't even have to get me anything,” I told him.

“I like giving you things,” he admitted.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding.

“That’s why I let you wear my necklace,” he continued.

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated and reached up to mess with his necklace I was wearing.

“Would you like it?” he asked curiously. “Because you don’t have to have it.”

“It would be rude not to take it,” I replied.

He smiled sheepishly again and pulled a dark red flower out from behind his back.

“Oh, wow,” I said in shock.

He turned almost as dark as the flower. “There was a lady walking around offering them to people, so I thought maybe you’d like a rose.”

“Thank you, Sir, it's beautiful,” I told him.

“You're very welcome, Ma'am,” he said, still looking nervous.

“What's wrong?” I asked.

“I didn't know if you'd think it was stupid or something,” he replied and looked down at the rose.

“No, Sir, I think it's very sweet,” I assured him.

He smiled a little and held it out to me. I examined it before taking it carefully. I felt something stab me and winced.

“Ow,” I said quickly and gave it back.

“Oh, I forgot,” he said quickly. “Roses have thorns,” he commented and started breaking off the sharp bits that were on the stem.

“Why?” I asked and looked at him in shock.

“It's because they smell so sweet,” he said and tilted it towards me. “Animals like sweet smells, the thorns protect the flower from harm.”

I took a deep breath to smell it and nodded. I took it warily, watching out for any more thorns.

“I think I got them all, sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I was too focused on being nervous,” he told me.

“It's okay,” I assured him and examined it closely.

He smiled at me. “Do you still like it?”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a nod and smiled back.

“Do you want to eat before we head out?” he asked curiously. “We’ll save all the canned food for when we walk. I'll make that last box of noodles.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said and smiled a little bigger. The noodles were my favorite, they were so good.

“I'll get right on that,” he told me and kissed the top of my head before walking to the kitchen to start cooking.

I followed after him to watch and hopped up onto the counter so I wouldn’t be in his way. He smiled over at me while he waited for the water to start heating up.

“Our next home won't be as nice,” he mentioned.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I doubt we’ll get this lucky again,” he replied and watched the water closely.

“Anything is fine with me,” I told him with a shrug.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied.

“But if you want something this nice then I’ll get that for you,” I promised.

“We’ll see what happens,” he told me and the water started bubbling. He opened the box of noodles and poured it into the water. I watched him curiously and twirled the rose around with two of my fingers.

He grabbed a spoon and started stirring everything, making the room start to smell great. I took a deep breath and smiled blissfully. He started saying something under his breath, it sounded almost like a tune, but I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I closed my eyes to try and focus on what he was saying but I still had a hard time.

He laughed a little. “What are you doing?” he asked curiously. “You look like you’re hurting,” he commented, rubbing my forehead with his thumb.

“I was focusing,” I explained and opened my eyes to look at him.

“On what?” he asked curiously and turned off the heat on the stove.

“What you were saying under your breath,” I replied.

“Oh, it was just a song,” he replied and pulled the pot to the side. He reached up into the cabinets to grab two bowls.

“A what?” I asked curiously.

“A song, it's a poem with music,” he explained as he separated out our food.

“Oh, okay,” I said nodding even though I was still confused.

“I know a few,” he explained. “It's like words to a tune,” he explained further.

“Does it have to be so quiet?” I asked.

“No, Ma’am,” he replied shaking his head. He grabbed two forks and set our food at the table. He walked back over and scooped me off the counter to carry me to my seat.

I laughed a little and shook my head at him slightly. “Then why were you saying it so quiet?” I asked.

He shrugged and sat me down. “You wouldn’t understand it anyways,” he explained. “My mother taught them to me.”

“Oh okay,” I replied.

“My mother was taught the songs by her mother and her mother by her mother and so on. I come from a line of Russian women who liked to sing in their native tongue,” he told me and started blowing on his noodles.

“That's cool,” I commented and copied him.

“So I can speak a little bit of Russian, just enough to sing the songs,” he explained and started eating.

“I see,” I said nodding.

“Do you guys have different languages in Opes?” he asked curiously. “Or rather did you?”

“No, Sir,” I said shaking my head.

“That sucks,” he commented. “I thought foreign languages were fun to learn. The school didn't teach us any though, I learned everything from my mother.”

“Are they fun?” I asked curiously.

“If you're a quick learner, yes. Anastasia would struggle with the pronunciations, so she didn't particularly care to learn. It seemed to come easier to me,” he replied.

“That's good,” I replied.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied with a nod.

I smiled at him and continued eating.

A few moments later, an alarm went off. Odin jumped a foot in the air and looked over at the television. It had cut on by itself, a red screen lit up the entire room before Commander appeared on the screen.

“People of Opes, I have dreadful news I'm afraid,” he started.

Odin stood up and walked over to the screen slowly.

“There are two escaped soldiers on the run, most likely together. They are armed and incredibly dangerous. To anyone who can point us in the correct direction, shall be rewarded greatly. These are the images of the two,” Commander spoke and an image of Odin and me popped up on the screen. “One female by the name of Reese Coyle, eighteen years old, dark hair, gray eyes, about five, four in height, one hundred and ten pounds. One male by the name of Odin Lukin, thick Terran accent, nineteen years old, dark hair, dark eyes, about six foot, one hundred and fifty pounds.”

He kept talking about our last location and more about where they thought we were. Odin turned to look at me with terror in his eyes.

“I thought they'd give up,” he breathed. “Everyone in Opes knows now, we have to get out of here,” he said quickly and scrambled around to find our bags.

I stood up and grabbed our bags from the bed, handing him his and slinging mine onto my back. “Come on,” I told him and grabbed his hand to lead him out of the room quickly.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he breathed and looked at the screen nervously. “How did they know all that? People are going to know, Reese. We can't get to the next city. They'll know us,” he rambled quickly.

“Come on,” I repeated quickly and let my instincts kick in.

He squeezed my hand tightly and let me lead him out of the room. I pushed past everyone in the hall and towards the stairwell quickly.

I could hear the sound of aircrafts flying around the city. Beams of light came pouring down, trying to spot us.

I cursed under my breath but kept running. We had to get out of the city and into the desert. If we went north, then there will be a bunch of places to hide. I nodded at my plan and ran faster.

We pushed through crowds of people, Odin jerked me into an alley quickly and covered my mouth. I watched a few soldiers run by and he trembled ever so slightly.

“The city is a bad idea,” he said softly.

I pulled his hand away from my mouth. “We have to go north,” I told him and led him out the other side of the alley.

He followed me quickly. “We need a disguise or something,” he mentioned. “Do you think we can get out quick enough without one?”

“If we run and stay hidden, yes,” I replied with a nod.

He nodded and looked around at the crowd of people that weren't paying us any attention. I checked around every corner for soldiers and ran through the city quickly. Of course we had to stay on the opposite side of the city that we needed to escape from.

Odin followed me quietly, hanging on tight. He kept looking around and checking for soldiers. We finally made it out of the city and I bolted into the desert. I had to slow down slightly for him but I made sure that we kept a good speed.

He kept up, but tried to keep his bag from moving around so much. We kept running until Princeton’s lights faded into the horizon. I looked behind us, I could barely see the lights in the distance. I slowed to a walk then stopped to look around. We had a long way to go before we got north.

“You said they'd stop looking,” he commented after a while.

“I said that they should unless they really want to kill us,” I explained. “They really want to kill us.”

He stayed quiet instead of saying anything else.

“It’ll be okay. There are plenty of places to hide up north. Most people abandoned the cities. There are still a couple small towns,” I explained.

“They'll find us eventually,” he told me.

“Not if we hide correctly. Once we find somewhere to stay, we can live that normal life,” I told him.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied.

“We should rest for tonight,” I commented and looked at the ground, letting go of his hand.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied and stopped walking. He looked around at everything, not that there was much here, and ended up pulling off his bag to sit down.

I took my bag off and sat down to put it in my lap. I played with one of the zippers and stayed quiet.

He sat cross legged and picked up the sand to let it run through his fingers slowly.

“I’m sorry,” I told him softly after a while.

“For what?” he asked without looking away from the sand that was falling.

“For getting us into this,” I explained quietly.

“It's better than being dead,” he replied.

“Unless they catch us,” I commented by accident.

“Yeah,” he said softly and dusted off his hands to just hold them in his lap. He stared down at them.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. I’ll just stay quiet,” I promised and put my bag down to lay down facing away from him.

He didn't say anything for a while. “Can I lay with you?” he asked softly.

“If you would like to,” I replied nodding.

He laid down behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me close. I curled up into a ball and leaned into him slightly, closing my eyes. He laid his head against my shoulder and nuzzled against me lightly.

“I’m sorry,” I told him again, softer this time.

“Don't be,” he replied. “It's not your fault.”

“It is. If I had just shot you then none of this would’ve happened. We wouldn’t have to run and hide. But no, I was a coward,” I rambled, whispering the last part.

“Do you really think not killing me makes you a coward?” he asked softly.

“Yes, Sir, I wasn’t willing to follow a simple order because I was scared,” I explained and squeezed my eyes shut tighter.

“Scared of what?” he asked.

“Dying,” I replied quietly.

“That's not being a coward,” he told me. “A coward would have begged to be spared. You saved me.”

“So you can run and hide for the rest of your life?” I asked. “That’s not something to be saved for.”

“Would you rather have killed me?” he asked.

“It would have been better than putting you through all of this because of me,” I told him.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” he said softly.

“You don’t deserve to run and hide your whole life,” I continued.

“I didn't want to die,” he told me quietly.

“Me neither. I couldn’t bring myself to kill you,” I told him.

“I'm glad that I'm here with you, even if we do have to run and hide forever,” he told me.

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding even though that sounded like the worst way to live to me.

He stayed quiet and sighed a little. “You didn't seem to like that answer.”

“That’s fine, Sir, I’m glad that I’m here with you as well,” I replied.

“That wasn't what you were saying earlier,” he replied.

“I’m saying that now. It’s okay, we’ll find a place to stay in the north and we’ll live a normal life,” I tried to convince him.

“Why did you say that stuff before if you didn't mean it?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Sir,” I told him softly.

“Do you want me dead or something?” he asked softly.

“No, Sir, of course not,” I said quickly.

“Then why did you say that I'd be better off dead?” he asked softly.

“Because to me, dying would be better than running and hiding my whole life,” I explained.

“Is that what you want?” he asked.

“It’s up to you, Sir,” I told him.

“No, it's not,” he told me.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because it's your life, not mine,” he replied.

“But you’re in my life now,” I mentioned. “Unless you don’t want that anymore,” I added quietly.

“Of course I want you, I'm just trying to figure out what you want,” he replied.

“I’m fine as long as I can keep you out of harm,” I explained.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied obediently.

“I'm sorry I'm being so weird,” I told him softly.

“It's okay,” he promised softly. “You're not weird.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied and swallowed hard.

“I'll stay awake to guard,” he told me softly.

“Yes, Sir,” I told him and closed my eyes even though I probably wasn't going to sleep.

We walked through the sand slowly. There was nothing for miles around. I ignored my growling stomach and just clutched her hand. We needed to save food. I could be hungry for a day or so.

I looked around a little, trying to distract myself from everything. The sky was a light blue, not a cloud in the sky. The sand was an interesting dark orange. Clumps of pale grass littered the place. Every now and then we walked by chunks of land that sort of reminded me of mountains, but they weren't big enough. Plus, they were flat looking instead of pointed.

After a while everything just started looking the same. Sand, grass, chunks of land. No coastlines. No mountains. No farms. At least Terra had beautiful landscapes. Everything here just looked copy and pasted.

I got bored of looking around and just stared straight ahead. I couldn't believe how hard the military was looking for us. They put it on the television.

Broadcasted it to the entire country.

Why couldn't they just leave us alone? We weren't hurting anything or anyone.

It's all because we defied them. Reese couldn't kill me. Instead, she saved both of us.

Our pictures were out there now. We'd have to change our appearances, probably for good. My accent. I had to fix that. The second I opened my mouth, someone would recognize me, no matter what I looked like.

I sighed. I just wanted to be left alone. I wanted this to be as simple as it was back in the hotel room. I worked, she worked, we ate together, and got to sleep together. Now, we were roaming the desert. Going north. What was even in the north? I was honestly too scared to ask.

“We’ll need to change the way we look once we get to a more stable home,” I mentioned softly.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a nod.

“Do you know how to change accents?” I asked.

“Usually being around people with a different accent for a while will change it,” she explained.

“Nothing quick though?” I asked.

“No, Sir, unless you purposely speak a different way,” she mentioned.

I considered that. I didn't think I could make myself sound like these people though. Not even if I practiced. I sighed again and looked around at everything.

“Sorry, Sir,” she told me softly.

“Not your fault,” I replied. “Just wish I didn't have it now. Makes me too different.”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

I nodded and continued walking quietly. After a while, I couldn't stand the silence. I started mumbling the words to the songs Mama had taught me.

She stayed quiet and I felt her carefully start to mess with my fingers gently. I messed with her fingers as well to let her know that everything was okay. I sung a little louder, wondering if that distracted her from her thoughts. She lifted my hand and hesitated before kissing it lightly and nuzzling her nose into it.

“I didn't pay you enough attention last night,” I commented softly and stepped a little closer to her.

“It's okay, I didn't deserve a lot of attention last night,” she replied.

“Why is that? I enjoy when you're happy,” I asked curiously.

“I wasn't very happy,” she told me and looked at the ground.

“I could have made you happy,” I told her softly.

“I'm sorry, Sir,” she replied.

“Don't be sorry,” I told her with a little sigh. “Last night was bad, but we don't have to dwell on it. Things will get better.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding.

I hesitated. “You don't have to call me Sir anymore.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“We aren't soldiers, that's what soldiers do unless you're being polite to an authority,” I explained.

“Oh, alright,” she told me with a nod.

“You did say that you wanted to be normal,” I continued.

“Yes, Sir,” she said then shook her head quickly. “I mean, yeah, I said that,” she corrected herself.

“Just thought I'd point you in the right direction,” I explained. “Do you want me to call you Ma'am?”

“Not if you don't want to. Doesn't make much sense for you to have to call me Ma'am when I don't have to call you Sir,” she explained.

I nodded. “I won't.”

We walked until dark before stumbling upon a small town. The buildings were tiny and dark. I could barely even see it. Reese was the one who actually spotted it. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. It made me nervous.

“They probably don't know about us. Northerners don't use their technology very much. In case, we can stay hidden,” she told me.

“Are there even people here?” I asked curiously. It was so dark, I could barely tell.

“There may not be. We'll know in the morning,” she replied.

“Where will we stay for the night?” I asked, wanting to get under some shelter. The first night we spent in the desert was dreadful. It was almost as cold as it usually was in Terra. Only I didn't have anything decently warm to wear. I hoped I had helped to keep her warm last night.

She stopped walking to scan the area slowly. “Over here,” she replied and led me to the back of a short white building. She looked around again carefully before sitting down against the building.

I sat down beside her after pulling off my bag. I swallowed hard and rubbed my hands together to warm them up.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, yawning quietly.

I smiled a little over at her. She was probably cold and thinking about all the bad things. I didn't want her to have to think about that right now.

“You know, if we lay together, we'll stay warm,” I mentioned.

“Alright,” she said nodding and took off her bag to lay down and look up at me.

I laid down, wrapping my arms around her back to pull her tightly against me. “Can I try something? It'll keep us warmer.”

“Alright,” she repeated and I felt her shivering.

I slid up my shirt about halfway and did the same to her before squeezing her tightly. I buried my face into her hair, trying to keep my warmth in for her.

She held my shirt tightly and continued to shiver, just not as bad. I put my hand up the back of her shirt and rubbed her back steadily with the palm of my hand. She buried her face into my neck and I heard her teeth chatter ever so slightly. But she gritted her teeth to make it stop.

“I'm sorry,” I breathed and squeezed her tighter.

“For what?” she asked softly.

“Not being able to keep you warm,” I said softly and squeezed her even closer.

“I'm fine,” she promised.

“You're shivering,” I said quietly and squeezed my eyes shut.

“It's okay, it's just a little chilly,” she assured me.

“I know,” I told her softly, wishing we had grabbed a blanket or something.

“Are you cold?” she asked.

“A little,” I replied with a nod.

She pulled away slightly to rub her hands together quickly before placing them on my bare stomach. I opened my eyes and sat up, pulling her with me. I faced the building and pulled her into my lap, shielding her from the wind. I bent over slightly, pressing myself against her.

She rubbed her hands together again and put them on my back gently. That seemed to work for a while before it started getting colder. I heard thunder in the distance and lightning lit up the entire world for a brief second.

“S***,” she cussed quietly and crawled out of my lap frantically. “We need to get inside,” she told me quickly.

I nodded and grabbed my bag as I stood up. The wind picked up and rain poured down in sheets.

“I have an idea,” I told her loudly and reached for her hand. “Play along.”

She nodded and looked up at the sky warily. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the first house I could find, which was halfway across town. It was a small house that looked white, but that was probably the lightning. It was getting worse and louder. I was soaked all the way through my clothes.

“Hold your stomach with your other hand,” I demanded and knocked on the door loudly.

She nodded and did as she was told, looking around quickly.

A few moments later, a light cut on and a confused looking woman opened the front door. She looked at us with wide eyes.

“Please, Ma'am, can you help us?” I begged. “My wife is pregnant and we couldn't find a place to get out of the storm.”

She looked at Reese then back at me, thinking hard. “Come on in,” she told us and stepped out of our way.

“Oh, thank you so much. I swear we’ll leave once the storm stops,” I assured her and pulled Reese into the warm house.

“I'll get you two some towels to dry off with. Are you hungry?” she asked and examined us carefully.

I nodded, not wanting to turn down free food. “Yes, Ma'am,” I breathed, exhausted from the adrenaline rush.

She nodded and walked down a hallway towards what looked like a small kitchen. I turned and shut the front door, shivering hard from being soaked. I pulled off my bag and set it on the floor, waiting for the woman to come back.

Thunder shot through the sky again and I saw Reese jump slightly, closing her eyes and trembling. I pulled her bag off of her and set it next to mine. I wrapped my arms around her.

“It's okay, we’re safe now,” I promised softly and ran my fingers through her wet hair.

She nuzzled into me quickly and gripped my shirt tightly. I kissed the top of her head lightly.

“I've got you,” I promised softly and held her tighter. “I won't let anyone or anything hurt you.”

“We can't go back out there with it like this,” she told me shaking her head.

“We won't, that's why we’re staying here,” I assured her.

She started to say something else but the woman walked back in with two thin towels for us.

“I just put some soup on the stove, it should be ready soon,” she told us and held out the towels.

“Thank you, Ma'am,” I told her politely and took the towels, handing Reese one.

She examined the woman carefully and hesitated before taking the towel and wrapping it around her.

“We can just stay by the door if you'd like,” I told her and tried to dry off my hair.

“Make yourselves at home. I don't think the storm will be passing very soon,” the woman replied. “If you would like, you two can stay in my bed. I have a couch I can stay on.”

“Are you sure? I don't want to intrude on your home and steal your room,” I asked curiously.

“Yes, just don't mind all the baby stuff. I'll move my girl out of your way,” she told us.

I smiled a little and nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“Is this your first time being parents?” she asked curiously and I felt Reese hesitate.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied with ease. “We were heading to the next town over, but got caught up here. I was worried about the wellbeing of both of them,” I explained and smiled at Reese to assure her everything was okay.

She smiled back with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Well, I'll be happy to let you see my baby girl and see what it's like,” she told Reese.

Reese looked back at the woman in even more confusion.

“You're very generous, but I don't want to ask for too much. I already feel bad enough as it is,” I told her and squeezed Reese’s arm, begging her to play along.

“It's no problem at all. But I won't pry,” she replied.

“I'm fine with getting some pointers. I'm really not sure how to do this whole...parent thing,” Reese told her and smiled a little.

The woman nodded. “It is late though, I'll have to show you in the morning. I don't mind answering any questions then.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” she said with a nod.

The woman took us to the kitchen and fed us before taking us to her room. There was a crib at the foot of the bed. She bent over and picked up the baby, cradling her in her arms.

Reese hesitated but smiled at the woman and her baby.

“Say hello, Chesney,” she told the baby and carefully moved one of her arms to make it look like she was waving at us.

I smiled, remembering how small Anastasia was. Mama let me hold her and she used to have her wave at me all the time.

“I'll let you two sleep. If you decide to leave, that's fine. You don't have to let me know or anything. Just make sure to close the door,” she told us and took the baby out of the room with her.

I smiled and she shut the door. I set our wet bags down and immediately started pulling off my soaked shirt.

Reese bent down to dig through her bag, pulling out my old black shirt and a new pair of jeans.

“It's all wet,” I commented after I grabbed it. “Oh, the money,” I said quickly and dug through the clothes until I pulled out the damp stack.

“Is it still useful?” she asked.

“Yes, we should lay it out to dry though,” I told her and dug through my own bag to get the other stack.

She nodded and picked up my old black shirt. She looked at it for a moment but put it back down.

“What is it?” I asked and laid the stack out flat. I walked over to the bed and put the money under the pillows.

“It's wet,” she told me. “So I can't wear it.”

I nodded and pulled off my boots and socks. Somehow my socks had gotten wet too. My jeans stuck to my legs and I swallowed hard.

She looked down at her wet clothes then at the bed. She sighed a little and took the towel to start drying her hair.

I hesitated. “If you stay in those clothes you might get sick,” I told her softly and started laying out all of the wet clothes in an attempt to let it dry.

“I might get sick wearing anything else as well. Plus, I don't want to get her sheets wet,” she told me.

“Me neither,” I replied and looked down at my jeans. I couldn't stay in them all night, I'd be miserable.

She sighed again as she thought hard about it. “I'll just stay on the floor and try not to get sick,” she said more to herself than me.

“That's a bad idea,” I told her. “You need to get out of your wet clothes. I'll just sleep on the floor if you don't feel comfortable with me in bed with you.”

“Why wouldn't I be comfortable with you in bed with me? We slept in the same bed at the hotel,” she mentioned.

“Yeah, but you seem hesitant to take off your clothes. I assumed that was why,” I replied and pushed my wet hair out of my face.

“I don't know, I mean, I shouldn't be hesitant, should I?” she asked.

“It's new, so you can be hesitant about it,” I told her.

She nodded and looked back at the bed. “Is it normal to do that?”

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and sighed a little at myself. “Yes, it is.”

“Is it normal to take off my clothes?” she asked looking back up at me.

I nodded. “Once you feel comfortable with me.”

“Why wouldn't I be?” she asked curiously.

“I don't know,” I said with a shrug.

She shrugged back and pulled her wet shirt off. She grabbed the towel to dry off.

I swallowed hard and grabbed my own towel to dry myself off as best as I could.

After she dried herself off, she took off her wet jeans and climbed into bed. I pulled off my jeans as well and climbed in with her, feeling nervous for some reason.

“Why did you say that I was pregnant?” she asked curiously after a while.

“I didn't know how willing someone would be to let in two random strangers,” I explained. “You being pregnant would give them a pretty good reason.”

“So instead of letting two strangers in, they're letting three?” she asked.

“They're letting two expecting parents in, it's more for protection of the unborn child, not for us,” I explained.

She looked at me in confusion but nodded and looked away. “Alright.”

“People are more willing to help a baby in danger,” I explained. “I don't know why,” I continued with a shrug.

“I didn't know that's what a baby looked like,” she commented.

I laughed a little. “Just a pudgy little human.”

“An ugly little human,” she continued.

I laughed a little more. “Yeah, at first they don't look the best, but it gets better.”

“No wonder most parents give their children to the military,” she replied and shook her head a little.

I gave her a curious look. I guess that's why she didn't know her parents. I guess that's what they did in Opes. I looked back up at the ceiling and watched lighting bounce off the walls. Thunder shook the entire house, making me jump a little.

She started trembling slightly and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. I flipped over onto my side and wrapped my arms around her. She really didn't like thunder. She nuzzled her head under my chin and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

“Why are you scared of thunder?” I asked softly and ran my fingers through her hair, trying not to think that I wasn't wearing anything besides my boxers.

“I'm not scared of it,” she told me quickly and leaned her head into my hand a little.

“Then why are you trembling?” I asked. “It's okay to be scared of something, Reese. That's normal.”

She hesitated. “I'm not scared,” she told me and tensed up to stop trembling.

“Everyone is scared of something,” I told her with a shrug. “You don't have to admit to it if you don't want to. I was just curious.”

She stayed quiet and another blast of lightning and thunder shook the house, making her jump. She sighed a little. “It's a long story,” she told me softly.

“We have a while if you want to tell me,” I replied and kissed the side of her head lightly.

“Would you like to know?” she asked.

“Sure, I don't know much about you anyways,” I commented.

She thought for a moment about where to start. “Remember how I told you that my partner died halfway through my first mission?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“She was struck by lightning during a storm,” she explained. “I was almost struck as well because I went back to help her. It scared the s*** out of me.”

I nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Getting close to getting struck really hurt. I can't imagine what it was like to actually get struck,” she continued.

“I couldn't tell you, I've never even considered that as a possibility,” I replied and shifted a little to get away from her cold tank top.

“Yeah,” she said nodding and gazed out the window to watch the rain, jumping every time it thundered.

“I'm sorry that happened,” I told her. “It can't hurt you in here though.”

“Right, sorry,” she said nodding again and looked away from the window quickly.

“It's okay, a fear is a fear,” I told her. “Like I said, everyone has one.”

She clenched her jaw slightly and rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, I suppose that's true.”

“I'm sorry. Did that make you mad?” I asked softly.

“No, it just goes against everything I was taught,” she explained.

I nodded. “I promise I'm not lying,” I assured her.

“I know, you wouldn't lie to me,” she said with a smile.

I smiled back. “Of course not.”

“What are you scared of?” she asked.

“Lots of things,” I told her.

She hesitated and nodded, looking away.

I decided I should probably elaborate so she didn't feel like I was just going to make her admit her fears.

“Losing people, I've always been terrified of that,” I told her. “Since it was only three of us against the whole world, I had no idea what I'd do without them.”

She nodded. “I'm sorry you had to lose them,” she told me carefully.

“You've said that before,” I pointed out, not sure if she meant it or not this time.

“I know,” she replied.

“Do you mean it?” I asked softly.

She hesitated. “Yes,” she said slowly, like it was wrong.

I nodded and nuzzled my head against hers. “It's always been like that though. I didn't have friends or anything. I had a girlfriend or two before, but it was pointless. I'm scared of losing what little I have.”

“You had a what?” she asked.

“Other girlfriends,” I explained.

“Girlfriends?” she asked curiously.

I smiled a little. “That's what you are. My girlfriend and I'm your boyfriend.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because you wanted to be in a relationship with me,” I explained. “You aren't my friend anymore, you're something more meaningful.”

“Oh, is that what a wife is too?” she asked curiously.

“That's one step above girlfriend and boyfriend. Husband and wife. That's a whole thing. I would propose to you with a ring, promising to be with you and love you forever. It's a more permanent thing than girlfriend and boyfriend,” I explained.

“Oh, why don't we do that?” she asked.

I felt my face burn. “I don't know. You usually wait for that sort of commitment. It's a really big deal.”

“Okay,” she said nodding.

I let out a sigh of relief. She didn't really understand all of that. I'm not sure I could explain it well enough to her. I wondered if she'd realize how important it was if I proposed. Would she be as excited as people usually are? Or would she just say ‘sure’?

I heard her breathing slow down but just as she fell asleep, it thundered again, making her jump awake.

“Oh, baby,” I said softly and rubbed the back of her head lightly.

She sighed in frustration and rubbed her eyes hard. I could see dark circles starting to form under them.

“Hey, just talk to me,” I offered with a smile.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked softly.

I thought about it and smiled. “What do you want our house to look like once we get our own?”

She thought about it for a while. “I once went on a mission to this house off the side of a cliff. I always thought that was a really cool house,” she mentioned. “The ocean was right in front of it.”

“I love the ocean,” I told her. “I used to walk along the coast in Terra.”

“I don't think I've really been to the ocean,” she commented.

“Then I'll have to take you,” I told her and kissed her softly.

She nodded a little kissed me back carefully. I smiled against her and ran my fingers up through her damp hair. She leaned her head into my hands and smiled back a little.

I kissed her a little more and pulled her close, jumping at how cold her tank top was.

“What's wrong?” she asked pulling away slightly to look at me with concern.

“Your tank top is cold and wet,” I explained.

“Oh, sorry,” she said and sat up to pull off her tank top.

My eyes widened and my face burned even more than it already was. She glanced over at me and looked at me with even more concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I assured her quickly, feeling nervous.

“Alright,” she said nodding and laid back down to kiss me again.

I kissed her back and pulled her up against me as close as I could. She was extremely warm now. I ran my fingers down her bare back slowly. She shuddered and held my sides carefully.

I felt too nervous all of a sudden. Why was I so nervous? I had been with girls before. This was different though. I loved Reese. I loved her more than I could explain.

My heart raced and I kissed her deeper. She followed my lead carefully and rubbed my sides. I breathed hard and ran my hands down to her hips, pulling them against mine without thinking. She hesitated but ran her hands up my chest slowly.

I leaned into her and my heart raced even more. I was sure she could hear it. She rested her hands on my shoulders and pulled away to breathe. I breathed hard and smiled at her big.

She smiled back. “This is definitely talking,” she joked and closed her eyes.

“Would you rather do that?” I asked and pulled her against me more so I could kiss her neck slowly.

“It's fine,” she breathed and I felt her practically melt into me.

I grinned against her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied. “Sorry, I didn't mean to call you that.”

“It's fine,” I breathed and kissed down her neck slowly.

She let out a shaky breath and held my shoulders a little tighter. I kissed down to her collarbone, and kissed along that slowly. A small noise jumped out of her.

“I'm sorry, I don't know what that was. That was weird,” she said quickly.

“It means you like what I'm doing,” I explained and grazed my teeth across her collarbone lightly.

She made another noise and shuddered slightly. “Okay,” she breathed.

“It's okay,” I assured her and ran my hands down her sides, grinning against her.

She nodded and leaned into me slightly. I ran my fingers down her sides slowly and to the tops of her thighs. She put her hands behind my neck and pulled me close. I sat up a little and started kissing her stomach lightly with a smile. She giggled a little and squirmed ever so slightly.

I laughed and gripped her thighs tightly before crawling back to my original spot. I kissed her lips again and held her hips against mine. She kissed me back and ran her fingers through my hair gently.

“You're so gorgeous,” I breathed and ran my fingertips along her curves to prove my point.

“Am I?” she breathed back, sounding surprised I'd say that.

“Extremely,” I said nodding.

“Okay,” she replied.

I smiled. “Did you know that?”

“No,” she told me shaking her head.

“I want you to know that,” I told her and kissed her again. “You're the most gorgeous woman I've ever laid eyes on.”

She laughed a little nervously. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome, it's true too,” I assured her. I pulled away to admire her and smiled.

“I guess I need to get used to compliments, shouldn't I?” she asked.

I nodded. “If you're with me, yes, because you deserve to hear it.”

“Do I have to compliment you as well? You deserve to hear it too, but I don't know how well I can do it,” she mentioned.

“You can compliment me,” I told her nodding and pushed myself against her to kiss along her neck again.

I didn't know if I'd ever get to lay with her like this again. The only reason it happened tonight was because our clothes got soaked. She was so warm and beautiful.

I just wanted to hold her forever like this. Kissing her, complimenting her, making up for all the time she had missed while working for the military. It was really the only thing I felt I could do to make up for her sparing my life.

“Why are you so nice to me?” she asked softly and nuzzled her nose against my ear gently.

“Because I love you,” I told her softly.

“I love you,” she replied.

I smiled and squeezed her tightly before relaxing again. I pulled away enough to smile at her. She smiled back and laid her head down on the pillow to close her eyes blissfully.

I leaned my head against the top of her chest and closed my eyes as well. I fell asleep listening to the sound of her heart beat.

I got woken up by Reese pulling away from me carefully and climbing out of bed. Before I could wake up enough to say anything, she walked out of the room quietly.

I sat up a little and waited for her to come back. Where was she going? When she didn't come back as quickly as I would have liked, I climbed out of bed sluggishly. I walked out the door and down the hallway, trying to find her. We were in someone's house, why was she just roaming?

I found her in the living room facing away from me in front of a crib, just standing there. I smiled a little and walked over to her quietly, not wanting to wake up the woman.

She jumped a little and whipped around to look at me with wide eyes. When she saw it was me, she relaxed a little and looked back down at the baby.

I stepped behind her and kissed the top of her head gently. I watched the baby as well. She was asleep and sucking on her thumb blissfully.

Reese hesitated and reached down with a shaky hand to stroke the baby's arm gently.

“Don't wake her,” I said softly.

She pulled away quickly and held her hands tightly with a nod.

“I'm sure you can hold her in the morning,” I told her quietly. The baby made a little grunting noise and wiggled around a little before going still again.

She gave the baby a look of confusion and tilted her head curiously.

“She's dreaming,” I explained softly.

She nodded a little and stared at the baby for a moment before looking up at me sheepishly.

I smiled. “What is it?”

She grabbed my hand and led me back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. “I'm sorry,” she told me softly.

“For what?” I asked and squeezed her hand. “You wanted to see the baby, it's fine.”

“Yeah, but I woke you up,” she explained.

“It's fine,” I assured her.

“It just started storming really bad again and it started making noises. I wanted to make sure it was okay,” she continued.

“She,” I corrected her. “The baby is a girl, not an it.”

“Oh,” she said softly and looked down.

“It's okay, you're new to this,” I assured her.

“I made it-” she started but shook her head a little. “I made her go quiet again,” she told me softly.

“That's good,” I told her nodding with a smile.

“I don't think that lady heard her, she was still asleep,” she told me.

“It's okay, you were there,” I told her nodding.

She nodded back and let go of my hand to climb back into bed. “It's still an ugly little human,” she commented with a small smile.

I laughed a little and climbed into bed with her. “Then I suppose you won't be wanting one of your own.”

“What?” she asked.

“You don't really seem to like babies too much,” I explained. “So I guess you wouldn't want your own to take care of.”

“Am I allowed to have one?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes, as long as you're willing to commit to that sort of thing. You have to go through a lot to get one, then you'll raise it for eighteen years.”

She thought about it. “Do you want one?”

“Doesn't matter, it's your choice. You're the one who would have to carry it, give birth to it, and all that,” I told her.

She nodded a little and thought some more. “I don't have time for one right now. I'll pick one once we get somewhere safe,” she told me.

I smiled a little and nodded. “You don't really get to pick though.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“That's not how it works,” I explained and smiled nervously. I really had to explain this to her. She really had no idea. “I sort of give it to you,” I explained slowly.

“I don't want an ugly one,” she told me.

“Well, it would look sort of like both of us,” I explained with a shrug. “So hopefully I'm not too ugly.”

She examined me carefully and shook her head. “No, you're not ugly at all.”

I smiled. “That's a relief, I wouldn't want to disappoint you by giving you an ugly baby.”

“Wait, why do you get to pick and I don't?” she asked.

“I don't get to pick either, no one gets to. You just need me to have a baby,” I explained. “And vise versa.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, looking confused.

I swallowed hard, trying to figure out the best way to explain this to her. “I can explain it, but you probably won't really like it,” I told her softly.

“Why wouldn't I like it?” she asked carefully.

“How far did Jax go?” I asked her softly.

“What? What does that have to do with anything?” she asked quickly.

“Because it relates into all of this,” I explained quickly.

“How?” she asked and her eyes got wide. “Are you going to do that to me?”

“Only if you want me to, it won't be like it was with him, I swear,” I told her quickly. “I don't kiss you like he did, do I?”

She shook her head and looked down nervously.

“It's not the same,” I promised. “I would only do that because you wanted me to or you wanted a baby.”

“I don't know anymore,” she said softly and rubbed her stomach carefully.

I scooted a little closer to her and placed my hand on her stomach. “I wouldn't hurt you,” I promised softly. “But it's your decision, not mine.”

She nodded. “I'm glad you wouldn't do that to me,” she told me quietly.

“Not unless you want me to,” I told her. “That's how it's supposed to be. You're not allowed to do that with someone unless both of the people say yes,” I explained. “If you don't want to, then we can't, and I won't.”

She nodded again and looked down, sniffing a little.

I didn't mean to upset her, I just didn't know how to explain it. “I'm sorry,” I told her softly and kissed her cheek lightly. “I won't ever hurt you,” I promised again. “If we did that it would be because we love each other. It's like a form of affection.”

“Is it normal to do that?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay,” she said nodding.

I leaned against her a little. “I love you,” I promised.

“I love you,” she told me softly.

“Let's just get some sleep,” I told her softly and wrapped my arms around her. “You don't have to decide on that tonight, or ever if you don't want.”

“Okay,” she replied and laid down. “I'm sorry.”

“For what?” I asked softly.

“For getting all upset,” she explained.

“It's fine, I understand,” I told her.

She nodded and nuzzled her face into my side gently. I closed my eyes, hoping I hadn't upset her too much. I didn't want her scared of me just because of something someone else did. I squeezed her close and pressed myself against her.

“How much do you know about babies?” the lady asked me as she cradled her baby.

I stared at it carefully and shrugged. “I know that he gave it to me,” I replied, gesturing to Odin, recalling what he told me last night.

He smiled a little and looked back at his plate.

“Do you know how to hold a baby?” she asked curiously.

“No, Ma'am,” I said shaking my head.

“I'll show you, come here,” she told me with a smile.

I hesitated but stood up to walk over to her nervously.

“It's okay, just relax,” she told me sweetly and positioned my arms a certain way. “You have to hold her head because she's too little to hold it up herself,” she explained and set the baby in my arms. “Use the top hand to hold her head, the bottom one to hold her bottom. Then hold her against you.”

I held my breath for some reason. It was heavier than I imagined but I kept a hold of it. I did as I was told and bit my lip hard. It squirmed a little and I looked up at the lady.

“It's okay, sweetheart, if you sit it might be a little easier,” she told me and guided me to a chair at the table.

I sat down and examined it carefully. It was so small and chubby. It stuck its tongue out slightly and made a small coughing noise. I jumped a little.

The lady laughed. “Hold her up a little more,” she instructed.

I nodded and propped its head up on my arm so it was sitting up slightly. It bounced a little and waved its arms around a little. I scrunched my eyebrows together at it, trying to figure out what it was doing.

“She's just playing,” the lady explained and sat down in the chair next to me. She stuck her finger out and the baby grabbed it.

I watched her carefully before sticking my finger out to it. It grabbed my finger with its other hand and shook it a little. It held on surprisingly tightly and I laughed a little at it.

“See, she's really playful,” the lady pointed out. It giggled and shook my finger more.

“Why?” I asked curiously without looking away from it.

“She's just a happy little girl,” she explained.

I nodded and wrapped my fingers around its wrist carefully, rubbing my thumb against its soft skin. It giggled and bounced a little. It seemed to want to hold its own head up, but it struggled. I held its head up a little more for it and glanced up at the lady.

She smiled at me reassuringly and stood up to walk over to the stove. Odin smiled at me and picked up his plate to go wash it in the sink.

It made a little complaining noise and I shushed it sweetly like I had last night.  I let go of its hand and rubbed its head gently. It bounced again and looked around the kitchen with wide eyes.

I examined it and ran my thumb across its cheek gently. It made little noises that sort of sounded like laughing and gibberish mixed together.

I laughed a little at it. It was actually kind of cute. “What are you doing?” I asked sweetly.

It giggled and squealed a little as a response. The lady laughed from across the kitchen.

I squealed a little back for some reason and smiled at it. The lady walked over to me with a smile.

“Would you like to feed her?” she asked curiously and held up what looked like a slender cup with an interesting lid.

“Can I?” I asked curiously.

“Of course,” she assured me and handed me the cup. “Just place this end of it in her mouth, she knows what to do.”

I hesitated but grabbed the cup and put one end up against its mouth. It immediately started sucking on it, making little grunting noises. I watched it drink carefully.

“Shouldn't it be eating food? Not just drinking?” I asked.

“This is her food,” she explained. “She doesn't have any teeth so she can't eat normal food.”

“Why doesn't it have teeth? Will it have to drink its whole life?” I asked.

“She will grow them after a while. Then she'll have teeth and eat normal food,” she explained. “Most women breastfeed, but she didn't really catch onto that, so she has to be bottlefed.”

“Breastfeed?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated. “You don't know what that is?”

“No, Ma'am, I'm afraid I don't,” I told her.

“It's the reason women have breasts,” she explained. “Once you have your baby, they'll start producing milk which is food for the baby.”

“Oh okay,” I said nodding and hesitated. “I know what that is. I just didn't know the name of it,” I lied quickly so she wouldn't be suspicious.

“Oh, it's alright,” she told me nodding and smiled.

“I'm probably going to bottle feed mine,” I continued.

“It's up to you, bottle feeding gets expensive,” she told me.

I nodded and looked back down at it. It was still drinking and making little grunting noises. It finished off the bottle and pushed it away from its mouth. I pulled it away and held it out to the lady carefully.

She took it and smiled. “Hold her up like this,” she told me and adjusted it so it's head was resting on my shoulder. It was right up against me now. “Pat her back lightly to get her to burp,” she told me.

I hesitated but did as I was told, careful not to pat too hard and hurt it. It burped and grabbed my hair, pulling it slightly. I pulled it away to look at it carefully as it continued to pull my hair.

“She likes hair,” the lady explained.

“Why?” I asked.

“I don't really know, she probably thinks it's pretty,” she told me.

I nodded and grabbed its hand to pull them away from my hair. It made a loud complaining noise and tried to reach for it again. I quickly let go of its hand so it could hold my hair again. It grabbed my hair again and pulled on it slightly. It pulled some of it to its mouth and started to try and eat it.

I grabbed my hair and pulled it away from its mouth. “Just play with it, don't eat it,” I told it softly.

It made another noise and pulled my hair harder.

I copied its noise and smiled a little. “That's right, you can't eat it,” I told it.

It pulled a little more and looked behind me. I felt Odin kiss the top of my head lightly.

“Do you like her?” he asked with a smile.

“It's actually kind of cute,” I replied with a small nod.

“She seems to like you,” he commented.

“Does it?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, she does,” he told me.

“Oh, right, sorry,” I told him. “She's actually kind of cute,” I corrected myself.

“There you go,” he praised with a smile.

“When did you want to leave?” I asked curiously.

“Whenever you're ready,” he told me.

“I don't want to overstay our welcome,” I mentioned.

“When would you like us to leave, Ma'am?” Odin asked the lady.

“You can stay as long as you'd like. I'm fine with whenever you want to leave,” she replied.

He nodded. “I'm going to see if our clothes are dry,” he told me. I was wearing some of the woman’s clothes. Odin was stuck in his damp jeans.

“Alright,” I said nodding and looked down at it. “I should give you this back,” I told the lady.

“It's fine, I need to catch up on cleaning anyways,” she told me.

“I’ll help when I get back,” Odin promised and walked out of the room.

“You're going to leave me alone with it?” I asked the lady.

“I'll just be in here and the living room,” she assured me. “You need some practice before your own little one comes along.”

I hesitated but nodded. Shouldn't be that hard. I looked at it carefully as it continued to pull my hair.

“Are you nervous?” she asked me curiously.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied.

“The first one is always the scariest, I'm glad you've got a sweet man to help you with everything. He seems like he'll be a good father,” she commented.

“Yes, Ma'am, something tells me he'll be helping a lot,” I said laughing a little.

“How old are you two? You seem awfully young to be having a child,” she asked.

“I'm eighteen and he's nineteen,” I explained.

“And you're already married and having a baby?” she asked curiously.

I hesitated. “Yes, Ma'am,” I said nodding.

“Pretty young to be making such a big commitment,” she commented.

“I'm sorry, Ma'am,” I told her.

“Hey, it's your decision. I've already made my own decisions,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied. “How old were you?” I asked curiously.

“Nineteen,” she replied. “Dumbass told me that he loved me,” she scoffed. “Didn't love me when I told him I was pregnant. Funny how things change.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” I told her softly.

“It's fine,” she assured me. “I still have my pretty girl,” she said sweetly to the baby and it giggled.

I nodded and looked down at it. Pretty girl? It was kind of cute but it definitely wasn't pretty.

“I don't think you have to worry about that though,” she told me and walked to the sink to start cleaning dishes.

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“Your husband seems like a good man,” she explained. “Mine never even brought his plate to the sink, much less washed it and put it away.”

“Oh, yeah, he is a good man,” I said nodding and smiled.

“That's good, those seem to be scarce these days,” she commented.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I agreed.

“Do you have any questions about the baby?” she asked curiously.

“No, Ma'am,” I told her shaking my head.

She nodded and continued working on cleaning dishes. A few moments later Odin walked in, wearing his navy blue shirt, and smiled at me before walking over to help her.

I smiled back and looked down at the baby again. I readjusted it back into its original position in my arms and watched it.

It played with my hair for a while before it started blinking slowly. Its noises got a lot quieter too. I watched it slowly fall asleep then I watched it sleep. It was so interesting to watch its hands jerk slightly. I assumed it was dreaming like what Odin told me last night.

“Did she fall asleep?” the lady asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I said nodding.

“You can lay her in her crib if you don't want to hold her anymore,” she told me and turned back to the sink.

“It's fine,” I assured her, not wanting to move and wake it up.

She nodded and continued working, talking to Odin about something. I found myself rocking the baby slightly for some reason and continued watching it sleep.

“Hey,” the woman said softly, pulling my attention away from the baby. “How long are you two staying? I'm running to the store and need to know who I'm buying food for.”

“You don't need to buy us anything. We'll leave now if you'd like,” I offered.

“It's not a big deal,” she promised. “I want to at least get a good dinner into you two.”

“Yes, Ma'am, we'll stay for dinner,” I said nodding, wanting to get as much free food as possible.

“You can leave in the morning if you'd like. I'll fix you up breakfast and send you off with some extra food,” she told me with a smile.

“Yes, Ma'am, that sounds lovely,” I replied.

She smiled. “Take care of the house, I'll be gone about an hour,” she told us and walked into the living room.

I nodded and looked down at the baby again. I wanted to get up but then it'd wake up. I sighed a little and looked around.

The lady walked back in, wearing something different. “I'll take her with me,” she said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I said and held out the baby to her.

She cradled the baby and cooed to it as she walked out of the kitchen.

I stood up and stretched my arms. They ached slightly from holding the baby in that position. I continued to stretch my back and yawned. I rubbed my tired eyes and walked back to the bedroom to see if any of my clothes were dry.

A few moments later, Odin strolled in. “Your jeans are still damp, but your sweater is dry,” he explained. All of the clothes were strung across the room in an attempt to get them to dry.

I nodded and pulled off the shirt the lady let me borrow. I walked over to grab his old black shirt. Thankfully it was dry and I looked down at it for a moment before pulling it on.

“What do you think about the baby?” he asked curiously and sat down on the bed.

“It's cute and it likes hair,” I explained with a shrug.

“Do you like her?” he asked.

“Yeah, it seems pretty sweet,” I said nodding and sat down on the bed beside him.

He smiled. “Would you want one at some point in the future?”

I hesitated. After what he told me, I was not sure I even wanted to consider having one. But he seemed to really like the idea. “Yes, Sir,” I replied.

He smiled a little. “That's good, I was worried that I had scared you last night.”

“A little,” I admitted and looked down.

“I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to,” he told me softly.

“It's okay,” I promised.

He nodded and held his hands tightly.

“Don't worry about it. It's over now. I shouldn't even be upset about it. I should've never been upset about it,” I rambled.

“You have a right to be upset, but I'll quit talking about it,” he told me.

I looked up at him carefully. Now I had upset him. I hesitated but grabbed his hands and leaned over to kiss his cheek gently.

“It's okay,” he assured me softly.

“It is,” I agreed and slowly kissed down to his jaw.

He laughed a little and leaned against me. I smiled against him, glad I was helping. This usually helped me. I kissed along his jaw to his neck carefully.

He made a happy noise and wrapped his arms around my waist. I scooted closer to him and reached up to tilt his head back slightly. He ran his hands to my stomach and started running his hands up. I sat up straighter and ran my fingers up through his hair. He nuzzled his head into my hands and went back down my stomach to run them up my shirt.

I kissed back up his neck and over his chin, stopping at his lips and hovered over them a little. “You're such a good man,” I breathed softly.

He laughed a little and his face turned red. “Am I?”

“Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and smiled at him.

He smiled and kissed me lightly. “I'm glad you think that.”

“Of course,” I replied and kissed him softly.

He smiled against me and kissed me back.

“Does this make you happy?” I asked curiously.

“Does what make me happy? Holding you?” he asked softly.

“Kissing me, holding me,” I explained. “Does affection make you happy?”

“Yes, Ma'am,” he breathed with a nod.

I nodded back and kissed him again, longer this time. He kissed me back deeper and slowly before pulling away slightly.

“Does it make you happy?” he breathed.

I nodded a little again and swallowed. He nodded back and kissed me again, running his fingers up my sides slowly. I scooted closer and wrapped my arms around his neck and held the back of his head to keep him still.

He ran his fingers back down to my waist. He grabbed at the bottom of my shirt and gave me a curious look.

“What?” I asked pulling away slightly.

“Can I?” he asked and pulled at my shirt.

“Can you what?” I asked.

“Take it off,” he explained.

“Oh, sure,” I told him.

He smiled nervously and pulled my shirt over my head and laid it to the side. I laughed a little at him and kissed him again.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked softly and kissed me back, rubbing my back lightly.

“You,” I replied simply and smiled at him.

“Why?” he asked softly and buried his face into my neck.

“Because you wanted to take off my shirt,” I explained.

“I can see you better,” he told me softly.

“Does that mean that you'll take off your shirt as well?” I asked.

“If you want me to,” he replied.

I nodded and grabbed at the hem of his shirt like he did to me. He pulled away from me slightly with a sheepish smile. I pulled his shirt up over his head and laid it with mine before running my hands across his chest gently. He breathed a little more and ran his hands up my back.

I gave him a curious look. Did he like that? I smiled a little and started running my nails across his chest carefully. He started breathing a little harder and shuddered slightly. I smirked without realizing and leaned in to kiss him but stayed right out of his reach. He leaned towards me, trying to kiss me.

I leaned away just as he got close and smiled at him. I continued running my nails against his chest. He made a little complaining noise and leaned towards me again. I leaned back more and smiled bigger.

“Reese,” he complained and grabbed my hips to pull me closer.

“Yes?” I asked sweetly.

“Come here,” he begged and bounced slightly.

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“Because I want you,” he explained and leaned closer.

I smiled and scooted up against him and leaned in to actually kiss him. He pulled me into his lap, putting my legs on either side of his hips. He kissed me back for a long time before pulling away slightly.

“Is that what you wanted to hear?” he asked curiously.

“It was a good answer,” I said laughing a little.

He nodded and pulled me closer to himself. I ran my fingers up through his hair and grabbed it to tilt his head back and kiss his neck again. He shuddered and started breathing hard again.

He must really like this too. I gripped his hair tighter and kissed his throat deeply. A noise jumped out of his throat and he clutched my hips.

“Was that a good noise or a stop noise?” I asked against his throat.

“Good,” he breathed.

I nodded and continued kissing his throat deeply. He continued making noises and held me tightly. I kissed back up his neck and to his ear gently. He sat up a little straighter and tried to bury his face into my neck. I let go of his hair and started running my nails up and down his biceps.

He nuzzled against me and kept still so I could continue. I started whispering gibberish into his ear and traced my lips around it gently. He laughed softly and rubbed my back with the palm of his hand.

“So pretty, so perfect,” he breathed.

I laughed a little into his ear and leaned into him.

“My girl,” he breathed and clutched me tighter.

I started breathing a little more for some reason and kissed his ear again. He ran his hands from my hips down to the insides of my thighs. I breathed against his ear and let my eyes flutter closed.

“Do you like that?” he cooed.

I nodded a little and swallowed hard. He laughed a little and rubbed my thighs slowly.

“Odin,” I breathed sweetly into his ear.

He nuzzled against me more and gripped my thighs tightly.

I let a noise escape my throat and I whispered his name to him again. He breathed hard and pushed me onto my back before crawling on top of me. I laid my head back and looked up at him curiously. He examined me thoroughly before pressing himself against me. He buried his face into my neck and kissed it deeply.

Another noise jumped out of my throat and I closed my eyes again.

“You're my perfect girl,” he breathed and ran his fingers up my thighs.

“Yes, Sir,” I breathed back.

“All I want to do is make you happy,” he breathed and pressed his hips against mine.

“I am happy,” I promised.

“Good,” he breathed.

“Are you?” I breathed.

He nodded and ran his fingers up my thighs and up my stomach. I shuddered and breathed into his ear again. He ran his fingers up my chest slowly and grinned against my throat. I breathed harder and grabbed his hips without thinking. He press his hips against mine more and breathed harder as well.

“Odin,” I whispered again and gripped his hips tightly.

“Tell me when to stop,” he breathed and ran his fingers down my stomach again.

Stop what? What was he going to do? I hesitated but nodded and continued to breathe hard into his ear. He ran his fingers down to my hips and pushed my jeans down slightly. He kissed down my throat and along my collarbone.

“Odin,” I sighed blissfully as another noise escaped me.

He continued kissing me and pushed my jeans down slowly. I opened my eyes to look down at him and the image of Jax flashed over him. I gasped a little and tried to scramble away before I could think.

“Okay, okay,” he said quickly and climbed off of me. “Got it.”

I breathed hard and swallowed. I examined him. It was just Odin. Jax was gone. I killed him. Now I ruined Odin’s happiness. I sighed shaky and rubbed my eyes hard to get rid of tears.

“I told you to stop me,” he said softly and offered me his hand.

“I didn't mean to stop you,” I admitted and pulled one hand away from my face to take his hand.

“I don't know what you want then,” he told me softly and pulled me up so I was sitting.

“I want you, just you. But I keep seeing him,” I told him and scooted closer to nuzzled my face into his shoulder.

“I'm sorry,” he said softly and rubbed the back of my head.

“Why can't I just forget?” I asked.

“Because he hurt you,” he said softly. “He hurt you so I couldn't love you without reminding you of what happened.”

“I want to forget. I want to forget what he did to me and what those other guys did to me,” I rambled.

“I don't know how to make you forget,” he said softly.

“It's okay, I'll get over it. Then you can love me without reminding me,” I promised and kissed his shoulder gently.

“I want you to forget so you can feel as loved as I do,” he told me softly.

“I do feel loved,” I assured him.

He nodded and held me tighter. “I want you to feel loved and know that you're the only one I want.”

“I want you too,” I told him softly.

He nodded. “My beautiful girl.”

I smiled. “You're a good man, Odin,” I told him.

“I really try to be,” he told me softly.

“I'm glad I didn't kill you,” I continued, hoping I was doing the whole complement thing right.

He laughed a little. “Me too.”

“What are you laughing at?” I asked curiously.

“It's an interesting thing to hear,” he replied.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” I told him softly.

“It's okay,” he promised and ran his fingers through my hair.

I sighed with relief and leaned into his hand. He held me tightly and rocked me slightly.

We stayed like that for a long time and before long, I dozed off, not even realizing how tired I was.

I woke up, clutching Reese in my arms. I breathed hard and nuzzled into the pillow more. I realized we were covered with a sheet. Did we fall asleep like that?

I remembered everything and sighed. I upset her. I messed up. I shouldn't have tried to do anything like that. She saw Jax in me. I buried my face into her deeply. I didn't want her to see Jax in me. I was a good man.

I stayed quiet and peeked up to see the sun setting. I looked back at her and kissed her lips lightly. I smiled and leaned my forehead against hers.

“Reese?” I asked softly.

She groaned a little as a response but didn't open her eyes.

“Come on, I bet that lady made dinner,” I said softly with a bigger smile.

“She said she would,” she said sleepily.

“Let's go get something to eat then,” I told her and sat up.

I grabbed my old black shirt and handed it to her, wondering why she had chosen to wear that. I grabbed my navy blue shirt and pulled it over my head.

She groaned again and nuzzled her face into her shirt.

“Do you not want that shirt?” I asked and looked around for her sweater.

“I do, I just don’t want to get up,” she explained.

I crawled out of bed and grabbed her hand. “Come on,” I urged. “We don't want to be rude.”

She sat up and stretched her arms and back before pulling on her shirt.

“Come on,” I repeated and pulled her off the bed.

“I’m coming,” she told me and yawned.

I pulled her out the door and into the kitchen. For some reason, the woman wasn't in there. I looked around curiously, then looked at Reese.

“She might still be at the store,” she mentioned.

“I didn't think she'd be gone this long,” I told her.

“How long has it been?” she asked.

“Long enough for it to get dark out,” I mentioned and looked out the window.

“Oh, maybe she had somewhere else to go,” she told me.

I nodded and let go of her hand. I walked to the fridge and pulled out two water bottles for each of us. I handed her the one before opening up my own.

She stared down at her bottle blankly and started to say something but was interrupted by the baby crying from the crib in the living room. She jumped and looked over at it in confusion.

“Why is she here?” I asked slowly and walked into the living room. I looked down at her, she was kicking and crying. I looked around for the woman, waiting for her to come running to her child.

Reese walked over and reached down to stroke the baby’s cheek gently with one hand and wrapped her fingers around one of the baby’s hands. She started cooing to her softly.

I looked around again before walking through the house, surely she had to be here. After not finding her, I went back to Reese.

“She's not here,” I told her slowly.

“Why would she just leave it here?” she asked curiously.

“The baby is still a girl,” I mentioned. “But, I don't know.”

“Sorry,” she told me and looked back down at the baby to continue getting her to calm down.

“This can't be good,” I mumbled and looked around slowly. “She wouldn't just leave her baby here and leave without telling us.”

“Should we go look for her?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said nodded quickly. “Grab the baby,” I instructed and went to the front door. I opened it and the lady’s body fell in, she had been shot in the head. I shut the door quickly and looked at Reese with wide eyes. “Found her.”

She gave me a confused look as she picked up the baby. I swallowed hard and started looking around for diapers and bottles. We were taking a baby. We were taking this woman's baby with us.

I felt panicked as I collected everything we would need to take care of her and crammed it into a baby bag. I ran to the kitchen and packed as many water bottles as I could along with the containers of baby formula. I crammed food for Reese and myself in that bag as well.

This was stupid. How could we be on the run with a toddler? We couldn't leave her to die though. I ran back into the living room.

“We’re leaving, now,” I told Reese sternly. “Come on,” I urged and grabbed her hand to drag her back to our room.

I packed an extra set of clothes for each of us and the money under the pillow. I used the rest of the space to pack a blanket for the baby. I put on the backpack, deciding to just leave the other. I secured the baby bag on my shoulder and pulled on my boots, tossing hers over to her.

“I'll carry all the supplies for now and you carry her. We can switch off after a while,” I told her as I tightened the laces on my boots.

“Wait, we're taking it?” she asked but started to put on her boots carefully, trying not to drop the baby.

“Yes, I'm not leaving a toddler behind,” I told her. “Especially when we’re probably the reason her mother was killed.”

“How are we supposed to take care of a baby?” she asked.

“Food, diapers, blanket,” I listed off, trying to remember everything that Mama taught me when Anastasia was little. “I think that's good for now,” I told her. “We’ll find her a better place, but we can't leave her here.”

“Why not?” she asked and stood up.

“She'll die,” I told her like it was obvious.

“Oh, okay,” she said nodding and looked at the baby.

“She can't take care of herself,” I explained. “She's too little.”

She nodded again. “We should get going then before they come back.”

I nodded. “There's a back door through the kitchen,” I told her and walked out of the room.

She followed after me and stayed quiet. I led her out the back and looked around cautiously before walking out into the desert.

It was misting ever so slightly, making the air pleasantly cool. I swallowed hard and walked around carefully, hoping Reese could keep the baby quiet.

She stepped beside me and stopped me quickly, putting her finger over her mouth. I heard a group of footsteps from the front of the house.

I ushered her away quickly, heading more towards the town. There were people still out roaming. It would look bad if they just saw two figures by themselves.

“Act normal,” she told me quietly and pulled her hair out of her ponytail.

I nodded and smiled over at the baby, who was looking around with wide eyes. She'd be a good cover, no one would expect us to have a baby with us.

Reese hesitated but lifted the baby up and smiled big at her.

“Her name is Chesney,” I reminded her softly.

“Chesney,” she said to the baby in a sing song voice and smiled bigger.

The baby giggled and reached out for her. Reese pulled her closer so she could grab her. Chesney grabbed her hair and pulled it against her face, still giggling.

“What are you doing?” Reese asked sweetly but seemed genuinely curious.

She continued digging her fingers into Reese’s hair. She winced slightly and pulled her away slightly.

“Easy,” she told Chesney.

She giggled and shook the hair in her fingers up and down. She glanced over at me in confusion but smiled at Chesney.

“Silly...girl,” she commented and bounced Chesney slightly.

Chesney squealed in delight and held her hair tighter. I laughed at them and scanned the area, making sure no one was staring at us.

No one seemed to even acknowledge us as they carried on their own conversations.

I noticed some guys wearing all black scanning the area closely. I looked around quickly and noticed a restaurant.

“Come on,” I urged quickly and grabbed Reese’s arm to guide her.

She pulled Chesney out of her hair and put her on her hip carefully as she followed me.

“Table for three,” I told the hostess, trying to hide my panic. Commander wouldn't send the soldiers into a restaurant. It would cause too much of a disturbance.

“Would you like a high chair for her?” she asked gesturing to Chesney.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied with a nod.

“Alright, follow me,” she told us and led us to a booth. Reese looked at it in confusion but sat down.

I set down my bags in the seat across from her. I dug through the bag and pulled out and twenty to pay for our meal. I tucked it in my back pocket as the lady brought us the high chair. She set it at the end of the table for us.

“I'll be back to get your drink orders,” she told us.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and she walked off. “Let me see her,” I told Reese and held out my arms.

She handed her to me carefully and looked around.

“Hey, you,” I said excitedly to Chesney and set her into the high chair before sitting next to Reese.

“Where are we?” she asked me quietly.

“A restaurant, public place,” I explained. “You come here to eat and enjoy yourself.”

“Oh, okay,” she said nodding and looked around again.

“Just focus on me,” I told her.

She looked back at me and smiled a little. I returned the smile and the waitress brought us menus.

“What would you like to drink?” she asked us politely.

“Just a water,” I replied and flipped open the menu, curious to see what sort of restaurant we were in.

“And for you?” she asked Reese.

She hesitated for a split second. “Water is fine,” she told her.

She nodded and walked off.

“Just relax,” I told her. “It's not a test.”

“Sorry,” she said laughing nervously.

“It's fine,” I promised her. “We’re just on a date together, okay?”

“We’re on a what?” she asked.

“A date,” I replied. “It's when two people spend time together, usually by going out and doing things.”

“Oh, yeah, we can be on a date,” she said nodding.

I smiled and looked over at Chesney, who was gawking up at one of the shiny lights. The entire place looked really nice, but not like it was going to cost a fortune.

The seats were black, the table was made of a dark wood, the golden tinted lights shimmered brilliantly. The whole place had a warm, friendly vibe to it. I smiled and realized Reese probably hadn't been to a restaurant before.

“You're supposed to pick out what you want to eat,” I explained and pointed at the menu in front of her.

“Oh,” she said and quickly opened it to look at all the foods. She glanced over at me before setting it down carefully. “I’ll just get what you get,” she told me.

“Alright,” I said with a shrug and started reading through everything. “How does noodles sound?” I asked curiously.

“They have noodles?” she asked curiously and smiled a little with excitement.

I nodded with a smile, knowing that she'd like that. “They're different from what I made though,” I explained and showed her the section of pastas. “There's different noodles, different sauces,” I listed.

She stared at the menu for a second then looked back up at me. “What do you suggest?”

I looked back down at it. “Depends on what you like. There's flat noodles, round noodles, skinny noodles, thick noodles. Tomato sauce, alfredo sauce, shrimp sauce, or you can always get none.”

“What did you make?” she asked.

“None of that, it was some random powder stuff that made the sauce,” I explained. “Do you like chicken?”

“Yeah,” she said nodding a little.

“Why don't you try chicken alfredo?” I offered.

“Alright,” she replied.

“When the lady comes back, tell her that when she asks,” I explained.

“I can do that,” she told me.

I nodded and looked around to decide what I wanted. Pizza. I wanted a pizza. I smiled over at her and closed my menu.

She smiled back then looked at Chesney. “What about her?” she asked curiously.

“I'll make her a bottle,” I assured her.

“Alright, because she can’t eat normal food,” she told me.

“I know,” I told her nodding. “Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets fed.”

She nodded and reached over to stroke Chesney’s cheek gently. “What are we going to do with her?”

“Take care of her until we find her a good home,” I replied. Chesney looked over at Reese with big eyes and grabbed her finger.

Reese wrapped her fingers around her wrist gently and shook her hand slowly from side to side.

“She's really sweet,” I commented and smiled at them.

“Yeah,” she agreed with a nod.

“Do you guys need a few minutes?” the waitress asked as she walked up. She placed our drinks in front of us with a smile.

“No thank you,” I replied. “I'll take a fourteen inch, cheese pizza,” I told her, handing her my menu.

She nodded and took it before looking at Reese.

“Uh, I’m going to get the chicken alfredo, please,” she told her.

“Yes, Ma'am,” she replied and I handed her the other menu. She strolled off and I grabbed my drink to take a sip.

Reese hesitated before copying me with her own drink.

“I hope you get used to things,” I commented and set down my drink. “It's hard to appreciate things you don't understand.”

“I’m trying,” she told me softly.

“I know, it's okay, I just wish I was better at explaining everything,” I explained and reached across the table to grab a bottle, a water bottle, and baby formula.

She nodded and thought hard about it. I read the instructions on the formula and poured the right amount of water into the bottle. I opened up the formula and put the right amount of powder in it. I put the lid on the bottle and shook it as I put everything away.

“Sorry I can't warm it up for you,” I told Chesney, who was already reaching for the bottle.

She made a complaining noise when she couldn’t reach it and tried to sit up more.

“Can you do it by yourself?” I asked sweetly. “I don't think you can,” I answered and stuck the right end of the bottle in her mouth, holding it up for her.

She grabbed it and started sucking on it, making little grunting noises. She looked around with big eyes as she drank.

“I guess you don't mind it cold,” I mentioned.

“Does it have to be warm?” Reese asked curiously.

“Usually that's how it works because when you breastfeed it's warm,” I explained. “But, I guess it doesn't matter to her.”

She nodded and reached out to stroke Chesney’s cheek again.

“I knew you'd like her,” I commented.

“She’s alright. She’s cute and sweet,” she said with a shrug. “She’s just weird.”

“So are you,” I teased with a grin.

“As are you,” she teased back and smiled back up at me.

“I guess we’re just a weird little family,” I commented before I could catch myself.

She hesitated. “Are we a family?” she asked.

“I didn't mean to say that,” I said quickly. “I mean, we could be,” I rambled.

“Is that any different from being friends or in a relationship?” she asked.

“It's like a step above a relationship because it's not just you and me anymore, she's here,” I explained. “But she's not ours, I mean she sort of it is, but I don't really know.”

“How long will she be with us?” she asked curiously.

“I don't know,” I replied and grabbed my napkin to wipe under Chesney’s mouth.

“Will we be all together long enough to be a family?” she asked.

“I don't know,” I replied again. “Depends on how quick we find her a home or if we decide to keep her.”

“We can keep her?” she asked.

I swallowed hard, but nodded. “If we decide to.”

“So we can be a family?” she continued.

I nodded again. “Yes,” I said with a smile.

“That means that I’d have to be a...mother?” she asked and looked at Chesney carefully.

“Yes and I'd be a father,” I told her.

She thought about it and shook her head. “We should probably find her a home,” she told me and pulled her hand away from Chesney.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied without thinking. “Sorry,” I said softly and pulled the empty bottle away from Chesney.

I wiped her face again and grabbed the water bottle again. I dumped a little water into the bottle and shook it up to clean it.

“Do you want me to burp her?” I asked curiously.

“Sure,” she said nodding.

I nodded and put everything away before pulling Chesney out of her highchair.

“Hi there, you haven't really met me,” I greeted her with a smile.

She made a little noise and grabbed at me.

“Sorry, I don't have long pretty hair to play in,” I told her and placed her up against me to pat her back lightly.

She made a repetitive noise as I patted her back before burping a couple minutes later.

“There you go,” I said excitedly and pulled her away to sit her in my lap.

She giggled and bounced slightly. She grabbed my shirt and gripped it tightly in her hands, shaking it slightly.

“That's mine,” I told her.

She pulled on my shirt as she looked up at the light, leaning back. I placed my hand on her back so she would hit her head on the table. She pulled one hand away from my shirt to try and reach for the light over the table.

“It's pretty,” I told her excitedly. “Are you trying to get it? Do you want to grab that?”

She let out a small squeal and stretched to try to grab it.

“Get it, Chesney. Get the light,” I told her excitedly and bounced her on my leg.

She giggled and looked down at my shirt, grabbing it again.

“Just kidding, we’re done with the light,” I said laughing a little and watched her play. “Short attention span.”

She blinked hard and looked around with big eyes. When the waitress came with our food, Chesney looked up at her.

“Hello,” she greeted her sweetly and placed our food in front of us.

“Thank you,” I told her with a smile.

“Thank you,” Reese told her and looked down at her food curiously.

“You're welcome,” she said and walked off.

Reese grabbed her fork and poked her food carefully, examining it.

“It's okay,” I assured her and flipped Chesney so her back was against my stomach. “They killed it for you.”

“Sorry,” she told me and stabbed it to take a bite.

Chesney leaned forward and slammed her hands on the table.

“Do you want some?” I asked curiously.

She squealed and leaned back to lay against my stomach. She looked up and tried to reach for me.

“Okay, okay,” I replied and grabbed a spoon. “May I?” I asked Reese curiously.

“Yeah, go ahead,” she told me.

I nodded and dipped the spoon in the sauce and offered it to Chesney, after blowing on it.

“Do you want some?” I asked excitedly.

She looked at the spoon with wide eyes and opened her mouth a little. I put some of the sauce on her tongue and rubbed her belly.

“It's good,” I promised.

She swallowed it and leaned forward to get some more off of the spoon.

“Hang on,” I told her and got some more to blow on, then offered it to her.

She opened her mouth and swallowed it quickly.

“We like chicken,” I commented, laughing a little.

“What did you get?” Reese asked curiously.

“Oh, a pizza,” I replied and set down the spoon to grab a slice and take a bite.

“Oh, okay,” she said nodding and took a bite of her food.

“Try it,” I told her after I had swallowed, gesturing at the other slices.

She nodded and picked up a piece and took a bite. She made a little noise as the cheese stringed off of it when she pulled away.

I laughed and took another bite of my own slice. “Good, right?”

“Yeah,” she said nodding with a mouthful.

“Do you want some?” I asked Chesney curiously.

She squealed a little and reached for the spoon. I set down the slice and dipped the spoon into the sauce. I blew on it before offering it to her. She opened her mouth and looked around as she tasted it and smacked her lips slightly.

“Do you like that?” I asked and got more to offer to her.

She opened her mouth again and grabbed the spoon. She shook it and giggled at it. I held the end of it carefully so she wouldn't try and eat it.

“That's better than formula, huh?” I asked curiously.

She pulled on the spoon to get it out of my grip.

“You can't have that,” I told her. “You'll eat it.”

She let out a cry and pulled harder.

“No, Ma'am,” I told her and pulled it out of her grip. I set it on the table and offered her my finger instead.

She gripped it tightly and shook it up and down.

“There we go, happy girl,” I cooed.

She looked around and pulled my finger up to her mouth.

I smiled down at her. She was so sweet, she reminded me of Anastasia.

She started blinking slower and leaned back against my stomach.

“Now you're a sleepy girl,” I cooed.

“We don't have somewhere she can sleep,” Reese mentioned.

“We don't,” I replied and leaned her back in my arm, cradling her against me. I used my free hand to start eating again.

“What are we going to do?” she asked.

“We’ll figure something out, we can just carry her when she's asleep and we’re walking. I brought a blanket for her to lay on if we need to put her down,” I told her.

“Alright,” she said nodding and watched Chesney slowly fall asleep.

I smiled down at her as I ate the crust of my pizza.

She reached out to rub Chesney’s head gently and tilted her head curiously.

“What is it?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing,” she assured me and pulled away to continue eating her food.

“You can touch her,” I assured her and grabbed another slice to start eating.

“She’s soft,” she commented.

“Yeah, babies are soft,” I said nodding, after I had swallowed.

“They’re all like that?” she asked.

“Yeah, they haven't been damaged or gotten calluses yet. She's brand new technically,” I explained. “Since she's a girl, she'll stay soft for the most part.”

She nodded and rubbed her hands together. “I guess she’ll be different than me, won’t she?”

“Yes,” I said nodding. “But she'll learn some of the things you were taught.”

“But we aren’t keeping her so we won’t have to teach her, will we?” she asked.

“Not if we give her to a new home,” I replied.

She nodded and looked at Chesney carefully.

The waitress came back by and we got boxes for the food we didn't eat. I packed it in the backpack, trying to keep Chesney still so I didn't wake her.

“Do you want me to take her or the bags?” Reese asked.

“Up to you,” I replied.

“I’ll take the bags this time,” she told me and stood up to pick up the bags from the other booth.

I nodded and cradled Chesney a little better.

“Alright, where to next?” she asked.

“We need to pay, then leave,” I replied.

“Why do we need to pay?” she asked.

“Because we bought food,” I explained and pulled the twenty out of my back pocket to hand to her.

“Oh, okay,” she said nodding and took it.

“Just give it to the lady up front,” I told her and led her over to the cash register.

“Hello, how was everything?” the woman asked with a smile.

“It was good,” Reese replied and offered the twenty to her.

“Table three?” she asked as she took it.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied. She nodded and rang us up, handing Reese back the change.

“Have a good evening,” she told us with a nod.

“Thank you, you too,” Reese told her and followed me out of the restaurant. “Where to now?”

“I don't know, should we stay in town or head to the next one?” I asked as I scanned the area. I didn't see any soldiers, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

“Head to the next one. We need to keep north,” she told me.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied with a nod. I adjusted Chesney before following after Reese.

We walked for what seemed like forever. It was an endless cycle of walking during the day, feeding Chesney every couple of hours, eating in the morning and evening, then at night we’d wrap Chesney up in the blanket and sleep with her in between us so she didn’t get too cold. As we kept walking north, the nights got colder. It was still the same heat during the day though.

We went through different towns. They were all pretty much the same, small and rural. Nothing like the cities I did missions on. I heard the north was like this. Less technology and more spread out. There was nothing in between the cities though, just desert.

Luckily, there weren’t any other thunderstorms so we didn’t have to stay in someone’s house and risk their life.

We switched who carried Chesney and who carried the bags. Odin mostly did all of the feeding and changing though.

I looked over at Odin who was carrying her this time. She was so cute. I was really starting to like her. But I couldn’t be a mother. We’d find her a home and we’d do it fast. I clenched my jaw slightly and looked back straight ahead.

“What are you looking at?” I heard Odin coo. “What are you doing, little girl?”

Chesney giggled a little, she always did that when either of us said something to her. He had the blanket draped over her so she wouldn't get burnt in the sun. She was laying back in his arms, reaching around the blanket to look around.

“What are you doing?” he asked, laughing a little at her. “You need to stay in your blanket, it's hot out here.”

I looked at them curiously. Why was she trying to get out of her blanket? It is hot. I decided not to ask. I was trying not to ask too many questions and ruin things for Odin. I’d just have to follow along like I knew what was going on.

“Don’t want you getting hot,” I commented and smiled at Chesney.

“That's right,” Odin said excitedly, making her giggle. “I'm talking to you, little girl, I wonder what you'd say back. Probably ‘feed me something other than formula’. Say, I want more of that chicken sauce,” he continued, bouncing her slightly.

She giggled more and tried to shake the blanket off again. Odin smiled big at her and used one hand to cover her face with the blanket completely.

“Where’s Chesney?” he asked curiously. “There she is!” he claimed, pulling the blanket away from her face so she could see.

She squealed happily and smiled big at him. He covered her face again.

“Where's Chesney?” he asked excitedly. “There she is!” he claimed again, letting her see.

I gave him a confused look, wanting to ask but just laughed at them as she squealed again. He did it a few more times before sitting her up a little so she could see where we were going.

“See that, those are plateaus,” he told her, pointing at a few in the distance. “They're around the desert, but still really spread out.”

I looked around at them even though he wasn't talking to me and glanced at him. He seemed to really like Chesney. I smiled a little at them but bit my lip. We have to find her a home. We were running out of formula and it wasn't safe out here for her.

“On the other continent, there's lots of mountains and grass. There's also coasts, with water. I bet you'd like to play in the water. It's really cold, so you couldn't sit in it, your little butt would get numb. You could splash around in it though,” he told her.

I hesitated and rubbed the back of my neck at the thought of keeping her. I'd have to be a mother. I couldn't do that. Even if Odin could be a father.

“We should probably find her a home in the next town,” I told him before I could catch myself. “We're running out of formula and she shouldn't stay out here with us for much longer,” I explained quickly.

“Yeah, you're right,” he said softly and held her a little tighter.

I sighed a little under my breath, glad he didn't question it. I didn't want to tell him I didn't want to be a mother. “How are we going to find a home for her?”

“We can take her to an orphanage,” he said softly.

“A what?” I asked accidentally and silently scolded myself. No questions.

“It's a place for kids with no parents,” he explained. “Someone will come and adopt them, becoming their new parents.”

“Oh, that's perfect,” I told him nodding.

He nodded back. “I want it to be a nice place though, I'm not leaving her in a bad place.”

“Of course not,” I replied.

He nodded and looked down at her with a sad smile. “Do you see the pretty blue in the sky?” he asked her sweetly and pointed up at it. He went on to explain why it was blue and why there were clouds.

I looked down at the ground as we walked, kicking at the sand a little and shifted the bags on my back.

We came up on the next town, the sun was on the verge of setting. This one was a lot bigger than the others, more people too.

“Do you think we should find a place for the night, then take her in the morning?” Odin asked curiously.

“Yeah, that's a good idea,” I said nodding and scanned the area carefully.

He nodded. “Do you want to rent a hotel room?”

“Yeah,” I replied with excitement. The last hotel we stayed in was great. Hopefully, this would be the same.

“I don't know if we have the money for a really nice one, but we can steal a room again,” he mentioned.

“Alright, let's go find one before it gets too dark,” I told him.

He nodded. “I can distract this time,” he offered.

“Sounds good, do you want me to take her?” I asked.

“I was going to use her, actually,” he explained. “Hand me the diaper bag.”

I nodded and took the bag off of my back to hand to him.

He put it on his shoulder and cooed to Chesney as we walked into town. We found a hotel, it wasn't as fancy as the first one, but it seemed nice. He walked into the lobby and pointed at Chesney. The lady behind the desk nodded and walked down a hallway with him.

I waited until I couldn't see them before quietly jogging in and went behind the desk. There was a stack of key cards. I found the one for a room on the top floor and jogged back out of the hotel to wait for him.

A few minutes later they all walked around the corner. He waved at the lady before walking out of the lobby.

“Now I'm all clean,” he announced, gesturing at Chesney.

“Good,” I said with a nod and held up the key card to him.

“Awesome,” he praised. “Top floor, nice view.”

“I figured that would be best,” I replied and reached up with my other hand to rub my finger under Chesney’s chin playfully.

She giggled and grabbed my finger. I shook her hand a little and smiled at her.

“Ready to sleep in your first hotel?” I asked.

She giggled more and bounced, realizing I was talking to her. Odin smiled at us and we walked up to the right hotel room.

I unlocked the door and we walked in. It wasn't as elegant as the first one. It was still really nice.

The floors were a dark wood, there was a gorgeous burgundy rug in front of the big bed with burgundy sheets. There was a dark wooden dresser in front of the bed with a TV sitting on top of it. There was a kitchen in the back with a big table in the middle of it.

“Nice find,” Odin commented as he walked in.

“Thank you,” I replied and started searching the room, feeling paranoid all of a sudden.

“You're welcome,” he replied and walked over to the bed.

He set the baby bag down and arranged the pillows so he could set Chesney down. The way the pillows were positioned made it so she was sitting with her head up. She looked around the room curiously, holding onto her blanket.

I smiled a little over at her before continued searching. I opened the fridge and all the cabinets then looked into the bathroom, going through those cabinets as well.

“Everything okay?” he asked, walking in the bathroom behind me.

“Yeah, just...paranoid,” I explained without looking at him.

“I understand,” he told me and kissed the top of my head before walking out.

I followed him and walked over to the bed to check the table beside it and under it. After I was done, I sat down on the bed and smiled big at Chesney.

“All safe,” I claimed and picked her up excitedly.

She squealed and grabbed at my hair.

“All safe,” I repeated with more excitement and pulled her closer.

She made quick little giggling sounds and leaned her head into my chest. I pulled her away to sit her down in front of me. I held her hands out in front of her.

“Can we stand?” I asked curiously.

She grabbed my thumbs and bounced a little.

I wrapped my fingers around her wrists. “Can we stand?” I asked excitedly.

She bounced a little more and giggled, but didn't seem to know what I was asking.

“Stand her up yourself, just hold her, her legs aren't used to it just yet,” Odin explained, sitting down beside me.

I nodded and lifted her up carefully, keeping a hold of her hands. She looked down quickly and her legs trembled ever so slightly. When she looked back up she was grinning and bounced a little.

“We can stand,” I praised and grinned big back at her. “Mostly,” I added with a shrug.

She squealed and clutched my finger tightly.

“Look at you, big girl,” I said excitedly, copying how Odin was talking to her earlier.

She picked up her left foot and put it back down slowly, bouncing the whole time. I lifted her up off her feet so she was dangling and swayed her slightly. She squealed again and kicked her legs hard.

“Now you're hovering,” I told her happily.

She made quick happy noises that matched her bouncing. Odin laughed a little and crawled off the bed. He grabbed the diaper bag and went into the kitchen.

“Where's Odin going?” I asked her excitedly and turned her so she was facing the kitchen.

She babbled something and reached out to try and grab him, even though he was in the kitchen.

I set her back down facing me. I put my hands over my face. “Now where's Reese?” I asked happily.

She made a few noises and I felt her grabbing at my fingers.

“Right, here I am,” I replied taking my hands away excitedly.

She squealed and giggled, covering her mouth.

“What a smart girl,” I praised.

She bounced and looked around the room curiously. She grabbed her blanket and stuck it in her mouth, chewing on it slightly.

“Now, now,” I said pulling her blanket out of her mouth and showing it to her. “Does this look like food?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

She giggled and covered her mouth again. She grabbed for the blanket and babbled something.

“That's right, not food,” I told her and handed the blanket back to her.

She slung it around excitedly and started babbling fast. I copied her with a big smile. She squealed and leaned towards me. She fell, but caught herself with her palms. She made an upset squeaking noise before she started crying loudly.

“Oh,” I said softly and picked her up to cradle her. I rubbed the top of her head gently and cooed to her, bouncing her slightly.

“Is she okay?” Odin asked as she continued to cry.

“Yeah, she just fell,” I explained and shushed her softly, stroking her cheek gently.

He walked around the corner, shaking up her bottle. “Maybe this will make it better,” he mentioned and handed it to me. It was nice and warm, but not too hot.

“Thank you,” I told him and put the right end towards her mouth. “Are we thirsty?” I asked softly.

She whimpered a little, but immediately started sucking on the bottle. She closed her eyes and grunted slightly.

“That's my girl,” I praised and used my other hand to wipe her cheeks gently.

She put her hands on the bottle, but it wasn't light enough for her to hold up on her own.

“I've got it, you just drink,” I told her but didn't pull it away from her.

Odin sat down on the bed in front of us and watched with a smile. I glanced up at him.

“What are you smiling at?” I asked curiously.

“She's sweet,” he explained. “You are too.”

“Am I?” I asked softly.

He nodded and smiled up at me. I smiled back and looked down to watch Chesney drink.

After she finished, Odin took the bottle to the kitchen and rinsed it out. She seemed okay now. She stayed quiet and just looked around with wide eyes.

“Isn't this place nice?” I asked her softly.

She looked up at me and made a small noise.

“Yeah?” I asked and smiled a little.

She looked away to watch Odin walk up and sit down.

“Do you feel better now?” he asked her sweetly and offered her his finger.

She took it and looked at it with big eyes.

“That's probably a yes, considering you aren't bawling your eyes out anymore,” he replied.

“Sorry about that,” I told him softly.

“About what? She fell over, she's a baby. If she fell off the bed that would be a different story,” he told me and shook his finger in her hand.

“Alright,” I said nodding and reached out to rub my finger against her cheek softly.

She started blinking slower, but seemed to be fighting the urge to sleep. Odin smiled at her.

“Is the girl sleepy?” he cooed.

She made a little noise and looked around with her mouth open.

“Come here,” I told her and moved her back onto the pillows Odin had arranged for her. I moved them around slightly so she was laying down.

She made a complaining noise and waved her arms around. Odin smiled and laid down so his head was by her feet. He started singing softly and slowly to her.

I laid down above her and curled up slightly. I rubbed her head gently and smiled a little.

After a while, she had fallen asleep. Odin kept singing softly though.

I smiled up at him and blinked slowly. He smiled back and started singing a different song. I yawned and propped myself up on my elbow to stare at him carefully.

“What is it?” he asked curiously after he had finished his song.

“Nothing,” I assured him shaking my head.

“What are you staring at?” he asked curiously.

“Nothing,” I repeated and looked away quickly.

“Nothing?” he purred and crawled across the bed to me. “Am I nothing now?”

“No, Sir,” I said quickly, feeling my heart race suddenly.

He grinned big at me, propped up on his hands and knees.

“I'm sorry,” I told him, not sure what else to say.

“What were you staring at then?” he purred, still grinning.

“You,” I said carefully.

“Why?” he asked curiously and crawled a little closer.

“I don't know,” I told him softly.

“Are you sure?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Yeah,” I said nodding quickly.

He grinned a little bigger before crawling up to me and kissing me deeply. I hesitated but kissed him back carefully. He ran his fingers through my hair and pulled me closer. I leaned into his hand and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He grinned against me and pulled away slightly. “I felt that you hadn't had enough attention,” he explained.

“I've had enough,” I assured him.

“Oh, really?” he asked raising an eyebrow at me.

I felt my heart race again. “Yeah, of course,” I said nodding.

He gave me a skeptical look before moving down to kiss my neck deeply. I let my eyes flutter closed and let out a shaky breath.

“Are you sure?” he purred and grazed his teeth across my neck lightly.

I shuddered as a noise jumped out of my throat. I nodded a little.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, running his hand up my thigh slowly.

I shook my head and wrapped my leg around his hip carefully. He grabbed it roughly and held it against himself. He continued kissing down my neck slowly.

“What about her?” I asked softly and looked over at Chesney.

“I won't wake her,” he promised, but climbed off of me and off of the bed. “Come here,” he said and offered me his hand.

I took it, glad I didn't ruin anything and sat up. He pulled me onto my feet and led me across the room. He took me into the bathroom and grabbed my hips to hoist me up onto the sink. He stepped forward to started kissing my neck again, closing the door with his foot.

I tilted my head back slightly and closed my eyes, running my fingers up through his hair. He ran his hands down my sides and to my thighs. He pulled my legs around his waist, pulling me close. I buried my face into the side of his head and breathed hard.

He breathed hard against my throat and clutched me tighter. I kissed the side of his head and down to his ear carefully. He nuzzled against me and traced up my thighs slowly. I let out a shaky breath into his ear and pressed myself closer to him.

He pulled away slightly to pull off my shirt. He ran his fingers up my bare stomach and kissed me deeply. I gripped the back of his neck, keeping him still and kissed him back. He breathed hard and slid his hands to my back.

I pulled away to breathe and stared at him. I found myself smiling huge and laughed at myself.

He breathed hard and looked at me curiously. “What?”

I shook my head and smiled bigger. I kissed him again and held him tighter. He pressed his hips up against mine and ran his nails down my back. I pressed myself against him and breathed harder.

He buried his face into my neck and ran his teeth across it again, rougher this time. Another noise jumped out of my throat and I started grabbing at his shirt. He chuckled and moved down to my collarbone, running his nails down my back again.

“Odin,” I breathed sweetly into his ear.

He shuddered slightly and grabbed me tighter, trying to get closer.

I chuckled a little and whispered into his ear again. He grabbed the edge of my jeans and pulled on them. I swallowed hard, remembering what happened last time but made sure to remember that it was just Odin.

“Odin,” I whispered, sounding desperate for some reason.

He pulled me off of the sink and pressed me against the wall instead. He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me roughly. I kissed him back and held the back of his neck to pull him closer.

He pulled away to nuzzle into my neck, grazing his teeth up. He ran his fingers out of my hair and down my stomach. I shuddered slightly and grabbed at his shirt again. He stepped back slightly and pulled off his shirt for me. I breathed hard and found myself staring at him.

He stepped back up against me, running his hands down my sides. He stopped at my jeans and kissed me roughly. I pulled myself against him and ran my fingers across his chest. He pulled my jeans down my hips slightly and kissed me deeper.

“Odin,” I whispered softly against him in between kisses.

He ran his fingers across my hips slowly and pressed himself against me.

“Odin,” I sighed sweetly and ran my nails across his chest.

He breathed hard and ran his fingers along the edge of my jeans, pulling on them again. I got onto my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck to kiss him deeply.

He kissed me back and fumbled with the button on my jeans. I pulled away slightly to breathe and stare at him. He stopped messing, but kept his hands at my waist.

“Is that a no?” he breathed.

I shook my head. “I just wanted to look at you,” I explained and realized how dumb that sounded. I kissed him again before he could respond or laugh at me.

He smiled against me and unbuttoned my jeans. “You're so sweet,” he told me between kisses.

I laughed a little and ran my hands down his sides. He pulled my jeans down slowly and kissed my throat deeply. I breathed hard and leaned my head back against the wall. He pulled my jeans all the way off and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me up against himself and kissed up my throat. I closed my eyes and leaned into him slightly.

He nuzzled against me and pulled off his own jeans without pulling away from me.

I hesitated. What was he doing? I decided not to ask and leaned into him more. He breathed hard and ran his hands down to my hips. I breathed hard as well and looked down to admire his chest carefully. I traced my fingers across the muscles he had built up from training.

He pulled my hips against his and smiled at me. I smiled and leaned back against the wall carefully.

“I love you,” he told me sweetly and followed after me.

“I love you,” I replied and wrapped a leg around his hip.

He grabbed my thigh and held it up, pressing himself against me again. I nuzzled my face into the curve of his neck, kissing it slowly. He breathed harder and ran his free hand across my hips.

“Odin,” I called to him softly as I kissed up his neck lightly.

He let go of my leg and pulled me off the wall. I kissed up to his jaw and to his lips but pulled away right before I could kiss him with a grin.

He grinned back and pulled me to the ground. He crawled on top of me and grinned down at me. My heart raced but I smiled back at him, reaching up grab his chin carefully.

He smiled at me and buried his face into the curve of my neck. He pressed his hips against mine roughly and ran his fingers up through my hair. I leaned into his fingers and closed my eyes blissfully.

He ran his fingers down my sides and to my hips. I ran my fingers through his hair and smiled.

“Are you really going to let me?” he breathed.

“Uh,” I said stupidly, not sure how to make my mouth work anymore.

“You can say no,” he assured me, kissing my neck. “It won't change anything either way.”

I swallowed. “Is this normal?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes,” he promised.

I nodded back. “Okay, I'll let you,” I breathed.

He nodded and kissed my neck deeper. He ran his hands up and down my sides. I let out a small noise and pulled him closer.

“My perfect girl,” he breathed and nuzzled closer.

I swallowed hard, forcing my mouth to work properly. “My good man,” I breathed.

He chuckled and breathed harder as he ran his hands up and down my sides. I grabbed the back of his head to pull him up and kissed him. He kissed me back and ran his hands up my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck to pull him closer and kiss him deeper.

He grabbed my thighs to hold them tightly, kissing me back. I forced myself to pull away to breathe hard and leaned my nose against his slightly. He smiled and held my thighs tighter. I laid back on the floor and ran my hands across his chest as I caught my breath.

He buried his face into my shoulder slightly. He breathed hard and pressed his hips into mine, trying to get as close as possible. I grabbed his sides to pull him closer and nuzzled my nose against his ear.

“I love you,” he breathed.

“I love you,” I breathed back into his ear.

I nuzzled my face into Reese’s neck as she sat in my lap. I closed my eyes and focused on her warmth. I was waiting for Chesney to wake up for her late meal. No sense in trying to go to sleep when she was going to wake up hungry in a minute anyways.

Reese nuzzled her face into my hair and played with a piece of it slowly. I could feel her heart race faintly. I smiled and rubbed her bare back slowly with the palm of my hand. She leaned into my hand slightly and moved her face into my neck.

I leaned into her and squeezed her tightly. She sighed happily and pulled away slightly to look down at my chest carefully.

“What are you looking at?” I asked softly and ran my fingers through her hair.

She smiled a little and leaned her head into my hand. “Just you,” she said softly and looked up at me carefully.

“Just me?” I teased with a smile.

She swallowed and nodded. “Yeah,” she told me.

I laughed a little and kissed her forehead lightly. “Just me.”

“Is that the wrong answer?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No,” I replied.

“Am...Am I allowed to look at you?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes, I just like teasing you about it,” I explained. “I like watching you admire me.”

“Why?” she asked curiously.

“No one ever has,” I explained.

She nodded and admired me again carefully. I smiled at her.

“You're okay, right?” I asked carefully.

“Why wouldn't I?” she asked.

“I don't know,” I lied and buried my face into her neck.

“I'm okay,” she promised. “Are you?”

I laughed and nodded. “Yes, I'm fine.”

“Good,” she replied with a nod.

I wanted to ask if I still reminded her of Jax, but I figured now was a bad time. She seemed happy, I didn't want to ruin that. I nuzzled into her more and sighed happily. She nuzzled back and traced her fingers up and down my sides.

I made a happy noise and closed my eyes to focus on her fingers. She let out a happy sigh and ran her hands up and down my chest before stopping at my stomach. She laid her head on my chest and closed her eyes sleepily.

I started to doze off, but I heard Chesney cry out.

“I'll get it,” I told Reese and waited for her to crawl off my lap before walking out to the bed. “Hey, pretty girl,” I cooed to her.

She cried out to me and reached up to try and grab me. I bent over and scooped her out of bed with a dramatic groan.

“Are we hungry?” I asked her curiously.

She made a repetitive noise as she bounced slightly in my arms.

“Okay, let's make the girl some food,” I told her and walked to the kitchen, putting her on my hip.

I made her formula and warmed it up before offering it to her.

She grabbed at it and started sucking on it immediately, looking around with big eyes.

“Are you going to come out of the bathroom?” I asked Reese curiously. “I don't think it would be too comfortable to sleep on the floor,” I mentioned and adjusted Chesney in my arms so she could sit up better.

I didn't get a response and I looked over to see her already asleep. I shrugged and watched Chesney drink.

“I guess she did want to lay in the bathroom,” I told her.

She glanced over at me with wide eyes and continued drinking. I smiled at her. This would probably be the last time I got to feed her. We'd have to give her away in the morning. I smiled sadly at her. She'd never remember me either.

After she finished the bottle, she shook it slightly and stared at it.

“All gone,” I told her with a shrug and walked into the kitchen to rinse out the bottle. She leaned back to look up at the ceiling and reached her hands up to it. “What's up there?” I asked her curiously and rinsed out the bottle, setting it upside down to drain.

She babbled something and opened and closed her fists slowly. I laughed and carried her back to the bed.

“Too bad you can't talk, then you could remember me,” I mentioned and laid her down in her pillows.

She giggled and tried to roll around on them but just kind of rocked. I laughed at her. I walked back to the bathroom and pulled my boxers back on.

“Reese?” I asked softly.

She groaned softly and curled up on the floor.

“Come on, we get a bed tonight,” I told her and picked her up off the floor. She groaned again and wrapped her arms around me quickly to nuzzle into my chest.

I carried her to the bed and laid her down. I laid behind her so I could watch Chesney until she fell asleep. I ran my hand up and down Reese’s thigh slowly.

She leaned into me and reached around to run her fingers through my hair. I leaned into her and offered Chesney my finger.

“Pretty girl,” I cooed to her.

She giggled and grabbed my finger to hold tightly.

“My pretty girl,” I said softly and swallowed hard. I didn't know why I was doing this to myself. It was going to be hard to give her away and she wasn't even my kid.

She giggled more and blinked slowly. She made a sleepy noise as she yawned.

“Are you going to fall asleep on me, pretty girl?” I asked softly.

She pulled my finger up to her mouth and closed her eyes sleepily. I watched her fall asleep, holding onto my finger. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about how bad tomorrow was going to be. I just wanted to think about this moment, being with both of my girls.

I dozed off, smiling at the thought.

I woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon. I breathed in deeply. Mama never made bacon. I opened my eyes and looked around, mildly disappointed that I wasn't in my own bed.

I sat up and rubbed the back of my head.

“Good morning,” Reese greeted as she walked out of the bathroom with Chesney on her hip.

I smiled at both of them. “Good morning,” I greeted and climbed out of bed.

“A lady came and brought us some food and towels,” she told me and gestured to the table that had two plates full of food set out.

“Oh, awesome,” I said nodding and smiled at Chesney. “How did you sleep, little girl?”

She giggled and grabbed Reese’s hair to shake at me.

“Yeah?” I asked curiously and walked over to kiss the top of Reese’s head.

She smiled up at me and walked over to the table to sit with Chesney in her lap. I walked over as well, scratching the back of my head.

“How did you sleep?” I asked Reese as I sat down to examine the meal.

“Great,” she said laughing a little. “How did you sleep?”

“Good,” I said nodding and smirked at her before I started eating.

She started eating as well and took a sip of her water.

“Did this lady come in the room?” I asked curiously.

“No, she just stood outside the door with a tray of food. She said to leave the tray and plates outside so she can come by and pick them up,” she explained.

I nodded and examined my bacon before eating it. I smiled big, I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten bacon. Meats were expensive.

Chesney let out a small cry and slammed her fists on the table.

“Do you want some?” Reese asked and broke a tiny enough piece off of her eggs to offer it to Chesney. “Try this.”

Chesney ate it out of her fingers and sat there, gnawing on it for a long time. I laughed at her.

“Needs some salt, doesn't it?” Reese asked her curiously with a smile. “I thought so too,” she said nodding. “Such a good little chef,” she added and laughed.

Chesney grabbed the edge of the table and tried to stand up to look around. Reese scooted her plate away and grabbed Chesney’s hips to help her up. She stood up and squealed happily. She looked over at me excitedly, like she was proud of herself.

“Are you looking at me to show me what you can do? Or do you know I'm the one that feeds you?” I asked curiously.

“Aren't you a big girl?” Reese asked and tickled Chesney’s sides softly.

She squealed and stomped her feet quickly, trying to get away I assumed. Reese tickled her stomach and pulled her close. She laughed and kicked her legs, leaning against Reese’s stomach.

Reese stopped tickling her to sit her back down and pulled her plate closer. “Would my big girl like some more?” she asked curiously and tore off another tiny piece of egg to offer to Chesney.

She bounced and opened her mouth. Reese gave it to her and watched her gnaw on it. I swallowed hard and looked down at my plate.

I finished eating and cleaned it off in the sink before walking to the bathroom to put the rest of my clothes back on. I walked back out into the kitchen with a smile.

Reese was smiling down at Chesney as she stared down at Reese’s hands. She played with her fingers and Reese kissed the top of her head gently, not noticing me.

I smiled bigger and walked back into the bathroom. I didn't want to ruin it for her. I went to the sink and turned on the water. I let hot water run across my hand before I ran it through my hair. I turned off the water and strolled back into the kitchen.

“Hey,” I greeted softly.

“Hey,” Reese replied sitting up straight and smiling over at me.

I bit my lip and looked at Chesney. She was bouncing and playing with Reese’s hair.

“You okay?” she asked carefully.

“Yes,” I lied softly.

She nodded and looked back at Chesney. “Do you like my hair?” she asked curiously and grabbed a piece to tickle Chesney’s nose with.

She stuck out her tongue and shook her head, trying to get away. I walked over and sat down at the table, smiling at her.

“I thought you liked my hair. You play with it so much. I guess I was wrong,” she said and pulled her hair away from Chesney completely.

She let out a loud complaining noise and grabbed at her hair again.

“Oh, so you do like my hair? You are very bipolar, little girl,” she told her laughing a little and gave her hair back to Chesney.

I looked down at the ground, holding my hands. I didn't want to remind Reese about taking Chesney to the orphanage. I didn't want to take her. I wanted to keep her and raise her as my own little girl. We couldn't do that though. Not on the run. We didn't even have any formula left, plus she was getting too old to eat formula. We didn't have the money to take care of her.

“Did you want to stay in this hotel for another night or two? To take a break from staying in the desert?” Reese asked curiously after a while.

“Yes, that sounds fine,” I said softly.

“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked softly.

I just shrugged and stared at the ground. She stayed quiet and seemed to realize what was wrong.

“I'm sorry,” she told me softly.

“It's fine, it was my fault for getting attached,” I mumbled.

“Do you want to go now? Then you can get it over with,” she mentioned.

“Sure,” I said quietly, not wanting to go at all.

She nodded and stood up with Chesney on her hip. She walked over to offer me her free hand. I sighed, but stood up and took her hand. She looked up at me carefully before leading me out of the room and to the lobby.

The woman behind the desk was busy typing on a computer. Reese led me out of the hotel before the woman could notice us and looked around.

“It should be just down the street,” I said softly, feeling a sinking pain in my chest.

“Alright,” she said nodding and walked down the sidewalk, looking around carefully every couple seconds.

I looked up and noticed a nice looking wooden building. The sign outside of it informed me that, that would be Chesney’s new home. I looked over at her, wanting to hold her.

“Is this it?” Reese asked and stared at the sign before seeming to give up and looked at the building.

I nodded and looked back at the sidewalk.

“Come on then,” she told me softly and squeezed my hand reassuringly.

I nodded again and the pain in my chest got worse as we walked up the steps to the building.

She hesitated but knocked on the door carefully, looking up at me to see if that was right.

I nodded and a woman answered the door.

“Hello,” she greeted with a smile.

“Hello, Ma'am,” Reese greeted back carefully.

I looked up and examined her. She seemed older than us, her brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail, she was wearing a long black dress too.

“How can I help you?” she asked curiously.

“My husband and I would like to give this baby up for adoption,” Reese told her and smiled over at Chesney.

“Well, she seems like a perfect candidate. I'm sure she'll get a new home quickly,” she assured us with a nod. “What's her name?”

“Chesney,” Reese said and stroked her cheek gently.

“Chesney,” she said nodding. “Alright, I'll take her,” she said and held out her arms.

She hesitated and rubbed her thumb against Chesney’s cheek a little longer.

“I promise that she'll be well fed and taken care of,” the woman told us softly. “She'll only go to approved homes too, so she'll get a good mother and father.”

“Yes, Ma'am, sorry,” Reese told her and pulled away quickly to hold Chesney out to her.

I swallowed hard and watched the woman cradle Chesney close.

“You two have a nice day,” she told us before walking back inside, closing the door behind her.

I just stood there stupidly, not sure how to process what happened.

I felt Reese squeeze my hand tightly and looked around carefully. I stared at the door, wanting to go in and get Chesney back. I took care of her. We took care of her. That was our baby. Why did we get rid of our baby? I swallowed hard again, feeling my eyes water slightly.

“Odin,” Reese said quietly and patted my arm carefully.

I looked over at her. “Yes?” I asked softly.

She was looking behind me slightly. “That man is staring at us,” she told me softly.

I swallowed hard and knocked on the door quickly. “Who is it?” I breathed.

“I don't know, but I don't think it's good. We can't go in there,” she told me quickly and grabbed my hand to pull it away from the door.

“Okay,” I breathed. “Where do we go? Back to the hotel then get out?”

She shook her head a little and looked around my arm to watch the guy I assume. “We need to hide somewhere else. Going back there would be back tracking. We can go back there after we know it's clear,” she told me.

I nodded. We had been standing here too long. I squeezed her hand and walked away from the orphanage. I walked down the street with her.

“I'll stay quiet,” I told her softly.

She nodded and looked over her shoulder at the guy, covering it by kissing my shoulder gently. She looked back ahead. “He's following us. A block behind us. I think he recognizes us, he doesn't look like a soldier,” she told me.

I nodded and looked around. Public place. We needed a place to blend in. I noticed a shopping center, tons of people piling in and out. I walked towards it, hoping to lose the guy in the crowd then get back to the hotel. Then we could get out of here and hide in the desert, probably for a while.

Once we got inside, she pulled her hair down so it framed her face slightly and smiled up at me.

I smiled back and mouthed ‘clothes’ before leading her to the clothing section. We needed to change and blend back in to disappear.

She looked at one of the dresses curiously. “That lady was wearing one of those,” she commented quietly.

“You just wear that over your undergarments,” I explained softly and looked through the racks. I needed a hoodie or a jacket.

“No pants?” she asked, sounding confused.

“Nope,” I replied. “You could always try shorts,” I offered and chucked a pair her size to her.

She looked at them then back at me. “Alright,” she said carefully.

“Just do it, I'll explain later. We don't have time for that,” I told her softly.

She nodded and hesitated before walking off towards the changing room. I looked around, I didn't see anyone blatantly staring at me. I reached to my back pocket, feeling my knives. I wasn't going to get killed now. I'd take someone down before I let them get me.

I pulled my hand away and dug through the clothes nervously.

“Is this right?” I heard Reese ask from behind me.

I jumped and whipped around quickly, too lost in thought to realize it was just her.

She gave me a confused look but didn't even flinch at my response. “Nevermind, we don't have time for that,” she said and started looking through the clothes.

I admired her legs, not realizing how long they were. I smiled blissfully, wishing we could just be back at the hotel again.

She grabbed a gray tank top and held it up against my chest to examine it. I looked down at it curiously. I could hear Mama scolding me for wearing something like that. She shook her head to herself and put it back on the rack to continue looking.

“I do need to look different,” I reminded her, digging through the clothes. All I could seem to find was women's clothing.

She found a white button up shirt and held it up to my chest. I took it from her, not wanting to spend too much time here. I grabbed a navy blue tank top with white designs and offered it to her. She took it and followed me towards the changing room.

I watched her go into a changing room and lock it before I went into my own. I pulled off my navy blue shirt to pull on the white button up. I examined myself carefully, trying to come up with something to make myself look different.

I licked my hand and pushed most of my hair to one side, making a part that lined up with my left ear. I smoothed it down and walked out carefully.

The door to Reese’s room was open but she wasn't inside or waiting for me.

Panic. Act normal. I strolled out into the clothing section and looked around for her casually, even though I was panicking on the inside. Where did she go? She better not have left me. No one would have swiped her without her making a sound, that didn't make sense. I couldn't call her, my accent would paint a bright target on my face.

I noticed two guys carrying her towards the exit. She was restrained but not moving.

I widened my eyes. They walked out the door and I bolted through the crowd, pushing people out of my way. I slid out of the shopping center and looked around quickly. I had to find her before they took her. Commander would use her as bait, then kill both of us.

I saw them walking towards a black truck waiting in front of the shopping center.

A thousand ideas went through my head. Call for them. They'd throw her in the back then drive away, leaving the other two to get me. Kill them. Too many people, they'd arrest me, then find me. I walked around casually instead of doing anything right away. If they threw her in the back, I could just grab her and go. If they threw her in the truck, I'd jump in the back and go with them.

They dragged her into the bed of the truck and I saw them tie her down tightly. I eyed them carefully, but walked over to stand with a group waiting for a bus. They hopped out of the back and opened the door to get it.

Now. They closed the doors and the truck started. I bolted towards the bed and hopped into the back right as the truck took off. The truck jerked right as I jumped in, making it seem normal.

I ducked down and grabbed Reese’s face. “Hey,” I hissed and shook her hard.

I saw two small marks on the side of her neck. It looked like they had tazed her. I breathed hard and examined her restraints. I had to get her out. Her wrists were tied together and so were her ankles. Then they were tied to a chain attached to the bed.

I bit my lip hard, my knife wouldn't cut through that. I sat down and slid my back against the inside of the truck. I examined the piece the chain was connected to. It was done poorly, it was just connected to the inside of the truck. Just thick plastic.

I pulled out my knife and crammed it into the plastic, cutting the chain off of the truck. I slid back to her, cutting her wrists and ankles. I laid the chain down quietly and glanced around. Back in the desert.

I closed my eyes and tucked my knife back in my pocket. “Sorry, this is going to hurt,” I breathed and looked up. The guys in the truck were just talking and looking ahead, oblivious as to what happened.

I breathed hard, trying to get adrenaline running. I scooped her up, clutching her tightly against my chest before just falling back first out of the truck. Bad idea.

All the air inside of me was forced out. My eyes got huge and I gasped for air desperately. I clutched her tighter, trying to fight the pain. I watched the truck keep going without us. I sighed in relief and laid my head against the ground.

After I could breathe, I sat up and cradled her before standing up. The truck was long gone. I walked back towards town a little bit before deciding that was a bad idea too.

I readjusted so I would walk around the town. There went our food, water, and money. My back ached horribly, I could feel the bruises. At least I didn't break anything. It was the best way to get out without breaking things or hurting her.

I walked until it got dark and after that. I walked a lot slower as time dragged on. My back felt even worse, she seemed to get heavier. I got around that town though. I told Chesney goodbye mentally as I walked past the town. I was thankful that she hadn't been with us, I don't know what I would have done.

I walked until I couldn't anymore. I fell to my knees, still clutching her, I grimaced. My back hurt too bad. I laid her down on her back and curled up beside her, making sure my back stayed off the ground. I closed my eyes, hoping to sleep, but knowing I wouldn't.

After I got to sleep for a bit, I heard Reese cry out in pain. She wasn't beside me anymore, she was a couple feet away and facing away from me.

“Reese?” I slurred and stood up, gasping in pain from my back. I stumbled over to her.

She jumped and whipped around to look at me. “Why are we in the desert?” she asked quickly.

“Someone grabbed you, I had to get you out of a truck, I walked us past the town and had to stop here,” I explained. “Are you okay?” I breathed.

She hesitated slightly but nodded. “Yeah. Did you grab our stuff from the hotel?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I couldn't risk going back into town,” I explained. “I heard you crying,” I told her and walked over, stumbling slightly.

“What's wrong?” she asked, looking at me with concern. “Are you hurt?”

“I asked you first,” I told her sternly.

“I'm fine,” she told me. “Are you?”

“Why were you crying out in pain like that?” I asked, ignoring her question.

“Odin,” she scolded.

“I asked you first,” I repeated. “I'd like an answer.”

“I gave you an answer. I'm fine. Now answer me,” she told me.

“My back hurts,” I replied. “Now why were you crying out in pain?”

“I got tazed, it hurts,” she replied and pulled on her boot quickly.

“On your neck,” I said, eyeing her boots.

“Yeah,” she said nodding.

“Why did you do that? Did they stick you with something else? A tracker?” I asked quickly, pointing at her boot.

“No,” she said shaking her head. “Why does your back hurt?”

“It's bruised,” I replied, knowing as soon as I told her how bad, she'd want to examine it and touch it. “Why did you do that?” I asked again. “You're making me nervous.”

“There's nothing to be nervous about. Why is your back bruised?” she asked.

“It's too dark to see it now anyways,” I replied and shifted uncomfortably.

“Why is it bruised?” she asked again.

“It was the best thing to land on when I got us out of the truck,” I explained.

“You jumped out of a truck?” she asked.

“I said I had to get you out of a truck,” I replied.

She nodded and stood up with a wince. “Oh, this is yours,” she said holding up one of my knives.

“Where did you get that?” I asked and took it.

She hesitated. “My ankle,” she replied.

“Okay, why was my knife in your ankle?” I asked, feeling irritated.

“Probably from you jumping. I probably landed on it,” she explained and sat down carefully.

“Dammit,” I breathed and looked at the ground. “I was trying not to hurt you.”

“Come here,” she told me and held out her arms to me.

I bit my lip and walked over to her, sitting down with a grimace.

She grabbed my hand and played with my fingers. “I'm sorry they got me,” she told me softly.

“You're safe, that's what matters,” I told her and tried to sit so my back didn't hurt so bad.

“Yeah, but I should've been more careful,” she explained.

I shook my head. “It's fine,” I promised. “Can I lay down?” I asked softly.

“Of course,” she said nodding.

I breathed hard and gritted my teeth before laying on my stomach. I let out a shaky breath and laid out straight.

“Thank you for saving me,” she told me softly after I got settled.

“I owed you,” I mentioned softly, turning my head to look at her.

She nodded a little and scanned the area and stayed quiet. I laid there quietly as well.

If I would have just left the orphanage right away, this wouldn't have happened. I drew attention to us. I promised myself I wouldn't do it again.

It took a while for the sun to come up enough for us to see. It was nice and cool, my back felt stiff though, so I didn't move.

She didn't move either or say anything, just stared at the ground.

“What are you thinking about, beautiful girl?” I asked softly.

She jumped slightly and rubbed her eyes hard. “Everything,” she replied softly.

I offered her my hand. “It's okay,” I promised softly. “I did it, I saved you. You're safe and I'll keep you safe.”

“I meant everything since we left the military,” she told me softly.

I pulled my hand back to my side. “Oh, is it bad?” I asked softly.

“You don't deserve to go through any of it. But you had to because of me. You didn't deserve having to change your life again and go on the run with me and finding a baby that you wanted to keep but I didn't so we had to give her away. You don't deserve to be with me who can't even understand emotions or anything else about the normal world,” she rambled and took a shaky breath.

“I'd rather be with you doing everything that we've done than go back to the military or back to being on a farm,” I told her. “This has honestly been the greatest part of my life, despite all the things that suck, there are things that I'd never change,” I admitted and smiled at her. “I love you.”

She nodded. “I love you,” she said and quickly stood up with a wince. “We should get walking before they find us,” she told me quickly, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I told her and tried to push myself up with my arms. I gritted my teeth hard and sat up on my knees. I breathed hard, trembling, I looked up at her sheepishly. “Can you help me up?” I asked softly, I hung my head, feeling ashamed.

She nodded and offered me her hands with a small smile. I took them and pulled myself up, gritting my teeth hard. I stood there for a second before nodding.

“Okay, okay,” I breathed and started walking, still clutching her hand as I trembled.

“We can always just stay put for today,” she mentioned and I could tell she was trying to hide her limp.

I nodded and looked up at the sky. “We need to find shade,” I told her.

She nodded in agreement and scanned the area. I noticed a rocky ledge off in the distance, I didn't know how far away it was though.

“What about that?” I asked, gesturing at it.

“That'll work,” she said nodding and started leading me towards it.

I tried to ignore the aching and just stayed quiet about it. I did it to myself, not allowed to complain.

“Did you wrap your ankle?” I asked curiously.

“I didn't have anything to wrap it with. I have my sock,” she mentioned.

“Then use my shirt,” I told her.

“It's fine, you need that so you don't get burnt,” she told me.

“You can use the bottom piece of it,” I told her. “I want to wrap it up so it doesn't get any worse.”

“It's fine,” she assured me.

I sighed, I wasn't going to argue, but I was still going to wrap it up. We kept walking towards the ledge, it was thankfully a lot closer than I thought.

We walked under the ledge, thankful for the shade.

“I should take a look at your back,” she mentioned.

I nodded and let go of her to unbutton my shirt. I was glad she had grabbed a button up and not a pull over. I slid it off carefully and stood still for her.

She examined my back carefully for a moment. “Tell me where it hurts most,” she told me before running her fingers around my back, applying pressure to different spots like at my ribs, shoulder blades and lower spine.

“It all hurts, but I think lower back is the worst,” I told her, remembering that, that was what I landed on.

“Alright, good, you didn't break anything,” she told me.

I nodded. “I didn't think I did, I probably would have noticed earlier,” I mentioned. “Is it bruised badly?”

“Yeah, it's pretty bad. You should lay down so there's no strain on your back,” she explained.

I nodded and turned around to point at her ankle. “You're wrapping that up,” I told her and tore a strip off the bottom of my shirt before she could protest.

“Odin, really, it doesn't even hurt,” she told me.

“I already tore my shirt,” I told her and handed the strip to her.

She sighed and took it to sit down carefully. She winced as she took off her boot. Her sock was tied around her ankle and it was soaked in blood.

“You can be stubborn all you want, but don't be stupid,” I told her and worked my way to the ground to lay on my stomach. I balled up my shirt to lay my face on and watched her wrap up her ankle.

“I'm sorry,” she told me softly after she finished.

“It's fine,” I promised and tried to find a position for my arms that didn't put any strain on my back.

She nodded a little and stared out over the desert quietly. I buried my face into my shirt and sighed a little, it was going to be a long day.

We stayed under that ledge all day and all night. I stared down at the ground, making sure to stay quiet for him. He seemed to not want to talk or even look at me. It was probably because of everything that happened. I got rid of Chesney. I got captured and he had to save me. I was being stubborn with my ankle.

I clenched my jaw and put my face in my hands. He was mad at me now. I’d have to get back on his good side. No arguing, no talking back, nothing other than talking when he talked to me. I nodded a little at my plan and swallowed hard.

He mumbled something in his sleep and rolled onto his back. He immediately sat up and gritted his teeth, trying to reach for it. He breathed hard and looked around before smiling at me.

“Hey,” he breathed and laid back down slowly.

“Hey,” I replied glancing over at him briefly before looking back down at the ground.

“How are you feeling?” he asked curiously.

“Good, how are you?” I asked.

“I'm okay,” he replied.

“Good,” I said nodding.

He stayed quiet for a moment. “Everything is going to be fine,” he promised softly and offered me his hand.

I nodded and took his hand, wishing I could curl up next to him without hurting him. He ran his thumb across my knuckles slowly before pulling my hand close to kiss lightly. I smiled a little at him and looked back down at the ground.

“It's okay,” he promised softly.

“I know,” I replied with a nod.

“Why do you look so upset then?” he asked softly, squeezing my hand. “Are you hurting? Hungry? Thirsty?”

“No, I'm fine, just tired,” I explained, not wanting to tell him.

He nodded. “Do you want to lay with me?” he asked.

“Can I?” I asked looking at him.

“Of course, I'm surprised you haven't already. Just be careful with my back,” he told me.

I nodded and laid down on my side next to him, making sure to keep my distance. He reached out and rubbed my sides lightly. He smiled and scooted a little closer.

I laid my head on my arm and used my free hand to run my fingers up and down his arm carefully. He closed his eyes with a smile and kept rubbing my side.

“I'm sorry,” I told him softly.

“For what?” he asked, opening his eyes and giving me a confused look.

“For looking upset,” I explained.

“It's okay, we've had a rough couple of days, I just want to make it as good as I can with what we've got,” he explained.

“I'm not helping very much, am I?” I asked softly and looked away.

“No, no, it's okay,” he promised and grazed my cheek lightly. “Everything is okay. You're allowed to be upset over everything, just don't dwell on it. Think about the good things too.”

I nodded and looked back up at him to focus on him. I remembered being at the hotel with him and smiled at the memory.

He smiled at me. “I love it when you smile,” he told me softly and pushed my hair behind my ear.

“Do you?” I asked laughing a little.

He nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“You make me smile,” I told him softly.

“Is that what you were thinking about?” he asked softly.

“Yeah,” I said nodding.

He smiled bigger and looked away.

“Is that wrong?” I asked quickly.

“No,” he assured me and looked back up. “No, that's not wrong.”

“Alright, good,” I said nodding and sighed with relief.

He smiled and admired me as he ran his fingers through my hair slowly. I leaned into his hand slightly.

“I'm glad that's not wrong. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to stay happy,” I told him softly.

He laughed a little. “I'm glad I make you happy,” he told me softly.

“Someone has never made me happy before. It's so different now with you,” I rambled curiously.

“Good different?” he asked.

“I think so, it's good to have someone to make you happy, right? Is that normal?” I asked.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied softly. “That's why we are together.”

“I make you happy?” I asked.

“Of course, I jumped out of a truck for you,” he said laughing. “Do you think I would have ever imagined myself jumping out of the back of a moving truck a few months ago?”

I smiled and felt excitement fill my chest. I have never made someone happy. He's changed me so much. Was that what love did? I smiled bigger and kissed his nose carefully.

He laughed a little more and rubbed the back of my head lightly.

“Sorry,” I told him and laughed at myself.

“It's okay,” he promised and leaned his head into my neck as best as he could.

“I was just thinking about how much I've changed since I met you. You've changed me,” I rambled and nuzzled into him.

“You've changed me too,” he replied.

“For the better?” I asked.

“I mean, look at me,” he said laughing. “Don't you remember what I used to be?“

I nodded and found myself admiring him. “Now you have all of these,” I said tracing my fingers across his muscles.

“Yeah, it's pretty great,” he told me, laughing a little more.

I hesitated. “Yes, Sir, now you're strong and handsome,” I told him.

He smiled big. “I'm glad you approve.”

“Of course,” I replied.

He nuzzled against me, making a happy noise. I smiled big and rubbed his chest carefully. His breathing steadied and he seemed to relax.

I pulled away slightly after I knew he was asleep and kissed his lips gently. I smiled at him and was glad that he wasn't mad at me. I rubbed my thumb against his jaw and leaned my forehead on his and stared at him as I dozed off as well.

When I woke up, he wasn't lying beside me and I was covered with a blanket. I quickly stood up to look around for him. I winced and sat back down as my ankle burned and stung.

“Hey,” he said with a smile as he walked around the corner. He was wearing a new shirt, this one was a black button up.

“Hey,” I said through gritted teeth and smiled back a little, trying to hide the pain.

“Hurting?” he asked and crouched down carefully, wincing as well.

I nodded a little and looked down at my ankle. I should take my boot off to look at it but I was scared of how bad it was.

“I'll fix you up if you fix me up,” he offered and pulled a small silver cylinder out of his back pocket.

“What's that?” I asked.

“Spray medicine stuff,” he explained, examining it.

“Where'd you get it?” I asked.

“Hospital,” he replied. “There's two more in the backpack.”

“Did you go into a town?” I asked.

“Yeah, I got our bags, food, oh, are you hungry?” he asked and stood up.

I nodded a little and tried to stand back up. My ankle stung even more and I fell back down, sucking in a painful breath.

“This first,” he said and sat down carefully. He unlaced my boots carefully and slipped it off. He pulled off the makeshift bandage and opened up the silver cylinder before spraying it on the bloody mess.

I bit my tongue hard and accidentally let out a small muffled cry. It stung terribly.

“I know, I'm sorry,” he said and offered me his hand.

I took it and squeezed it tightly. I whimpered softly and bit my tongue harder.

“Look at me,” he ordered. “It's fine, it'll stop in a minute,” he told me.

I looked up at him and nodded a little. I forced in a deep breath to push away the pain.

He sat down in front of me and watched the skin heal back on my ankle. Once it was done, he got up and walked off. He came back with a water bottle and a rag. He sat back down and poured water into the rag before he cleaned away the blood carefully.

I took deep breaths and tasted blood in my mouth from my tongue. I forced myself to swallow. “Thank you,” I breathed.

“You're welcome,” he replied and finished cleaning the blood off, making it look like nothing had happened.

“I didn't expect it to hurt,” I told him softly.

“It was probably infected,” he told me. “You couldn't even stand.”

I nodded and carefully pulled my boot back on. It didn't hurt as bad, it just ached.

“Will you get my back?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said nodding and laced up my boots before gesturing for him to sit.

He pulled off his shirt slowly and sat down carefully. He handed me the silver cylinder and started breathing a little harder.

“It might not hurt you because you don't have open wounds,” I mentioned.

“Yeah, I know,” he told me nodding.

“Deep breath just in case,” I told him before spraying his bruises.

He winced slightly, but didn't cry out. He breathed harder and clutched his hands. I finished spraying his back and watched the bruises disappear slowly. He trembled and swallowed hard.

“That’s weird, I’m glad it exists but it’s so fake feeling,” he told me.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“I don’t like it,” he told me, but stood up and stretched.

“I'm sorry,” I told him softly.

“It’s over, it’s fine,” he assured me and smiled at me. “I brought you something,” he said excitedly.

“Did you?” I asked.

He nodded with a grin and bent over to pick his shirt up off the ground. He pulled it on, but didn’t button it up. “I’ll bring it to you.”

I nodded and smiled at him. “What is it?”

“You’ll see,” he said and practically skipped around the corner.

I watched him before standing up and scanning the area around us. He came back around the corner, holding something behind his back.

“What is it?” I asked again.

“Something you really like,” he said excitedly.

“Can I see it?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah, I guess,” he said with a dramatic sigh and pulled a box out from behind his back. It looked like the box that lady brought us at the restaurant.

“Food?” I asked excitedly.

“Food,” he told me nodding and handed me the box, along with a fork. “It’s your favorite too.”

I smiled big and took it from him. I sat down and opened the box to start eating quickly.

“Save it,” he told me and sat down in front of me. “Never know when you might want more.”

I nodded and slowed down a little. He smiled at me.

“I figured I owed you for spraying that crap on your ankle,” he mentioned.

“I didn't get you anything,” I told him softly.

“Mine didn’t hurt like yours did,” he said with a shrug.

I nodded and closed the box before I ate all of it.

He smiled. “Was it good?”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied with a smile.

“Awesome,” he said with a nod. “We should get walking,” he told me.

“Alright,” I said nodding and stood up.

“Is your ankle good?” he asked, stepping back to examine me.

“Yeah, it's good now. Thank you,” I told him and offered my hand.

“You’re welcome,” he said and bent down to grab the sheet. He folded it then grabbed my hand, leading me around the corner. His backpack was sitting there along with the diaper bag, it was full of food and water. “I figured you can carry the food and I’ll carry the backpack, we can trade off if it gets heavy,” he told me and packed the blanket into his bag, letting go of my hand.

“Sounds good,” I said nodding and smiled up at him, feeling a sudden bliss.

He zipped up his bag and put it on his back. He took the box I was holding and set it in the diaper bag before handing it to me. “Here you go,” he said with a smile.

“Thanks,” I told him and took the bag to sling it onto my shoulder.

“You're welcome,” he said and offered me his hand.

I took it and followed him back out into the desert, looking around every now and then to make sure that nobody was following us.

He squeezed my hand and seemed to be in a good mood. He was walking fast and looking around curiously.

I noticed it was a little colder today. “I think we’re getting closer to the north,” I told him.

He nodded. “What are we going to do once we get there?”

“Start over. There isn’t much technology there so it’ll be harder to track us,” I explained.

He nodded again. “Yes, Ma'am.”

“If you want to do that,” I told him with a shrug. “I figured that would be safest for us.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” he told me and squeezed my hand.

“Good,” I said nodding.

“What do you want to do once we get there?” he asked curiously. “Other than restarting.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What kind of house do you want? What job?” he asked.

I swallowed hard. “I...I don’t know,” I told him.

“I think it would be nice to have a small house, it would be easier to take care of that way. I'll probably get some sort of manual labor job, might as well use what training gave me,” he told me then bounced a little. “Maybe I could even go to college. What if I became a teacher? That would be awesome,” he said excitedly.

I nodded and thought hard about it. “Maybe,” I replied.

“That's probably way too unlikely,” he said softly. “It would be awesome though.”

“I’m sure you could do it. You’re a good teacher to me,” I mentioned.

“College is expensive,” he mentioned. “We’d never have the money for it.”

“Is it?” I asked.

“Very,” he said nodding. “It's always money that holds me back,” he mumbled.

“We’ll find the money,” I promised as ideas poured into my head.

“It's fine, I can just work,” he mumbled with a shrug.

“I’ll work too,” I told him.

“We both can,” he told me. “It's fine, just forget I said that. I'd rather raise the money so my kids can go to college.”

I hesitated. He still wants kids. “Yes, Sir,” I said nodding and looked at the ground.

He glanced over. “You didn't like that,” he mentioned. “There are only two times you refer to me as Sir.”

“What are those two times?” I asked curiously.

“When you get nervous and when you don't really like something, but agree to it anyways,” he explained.

“Maybe I’m nervous,” I mentioned.

“It's a specific type of nervous,” he explained.

“I’m sorry,” I told him.

“What didn't you like about what I said?” he asked.

I hesitated. “I think it’d be a good idea for you to go to college. That’s what you want to do,” I half lied.

“That's not what's feasible,” he replied.

“We’ll find the money,” I promised. “I’ll work really hard and I’ll put all my money into it,” I told him.

He shook his head. “Let's just wait and see,” he offered.

“Yes, S-” I started but stopped myself. “Alright, we can do that,” I said nodding.

He nodded and started looking around again, not seeming to be in as good of a mood as he was earlier.

I quickly thought of something to cheer him up. “So you still want kids?” I asked curiously and put a smile on for him.

He smiled a little and nodded. “Eventually, yes,” he replied.

“What do you want them to be like?” I asked.

He thought about it. “A little girl would be fun to raise, I could braid her hair and put little dresses on her,” he said laughing a little. “That's what we always did to Anastasia. She had the prettiest white dress with long sleeves, it was her favorite.”

“Would you get this little girl a similar dress?” I asked curiously.

“I don't know, it depends on what she wants. I'll hopefully be able to get her nicer things,” he replied.

“What would you name her?” I asked.

“I don't know, that would be something we'd both decide,” he explained.

“If you got to decide yourself, what would you name her?” I asked.

“I don't know, I've never thought about it,” he told me. “I don't plan to have a kid for a while though.”

“How old do you want to be?” I asked curiously.

“Well, first I'd like to have the money to care for us and a kid, so it depends on that. If I could just pick an age...probably like twenty-six or something like that,” he replied.

I nodded. I had seven years to become a mother. “Alright,” I said nodding.

“Why?” he asked curiously.

I hesitated. “You really want to know?” I asked. “The truth?” I asked looking up at him sheepishly.

“Well, yeah,” he said nodding.

I looked back down at the ground. “I don't think I could be a mother,” I told him softly.

“Why not? You were great with Chesney,” he asked.

“Yeah, but aren't mothers supposed to teach their kids and sympathize with them? I can't do that,” I explained.

“It's not just that, you have to love them and take care of them. Play with them, dress them up, it's a whole thing. Plus, you were able to calm Chesney down when she was crying,” he told me.

“I don't understand the whole baby thing though. I might never understand completely. And like you said, I can't appreciate things as much if I don't understand,” I told him.

“I’ll teach you,” he promised.

“Okay,” I said quietly with a nod.

“Unless you just don't want kids,” he said softly. “That's fine too.”

“But you know you want kids,” I told him.

“If you don't agree to it, then it doesn't matter. I'm not making you carry around a kid if you don't want one. That's not fair,” he told me.

“This would be so much easier if I had parents,” I commented without thinking.

“It's fine,” he promised. “Let's just focus on ourselves.”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Right, sorry,” I told him.

“It's fine,” he repeated.

I nodded again and stayed quiet so I didn't annoy him or anything. I found myself wondering what it might have been like to have parents. I remembered training at such a young age. Would I have been in the military? Probably not. There were no real families there, that was dangerous.

I probably would've lived in a city with my parents. I imagined little me running around with two people that didn't have faces, just a man and a woman.

I could have that. I'd just be the woman, not the girl. I could raise one and ask her what it was like. What it was like to have a mother and a father. What it was like to have me as a mother.

Then Odin would be happy. That makes me happy. Hopefully she would be happy.

We'd just need to get money. I went through all the ideas in my head where to get money. We made a lot of money from me begging. I could do that along with some sort of job. Then if we really needed to, I could always steal some money. We'd have to steal it from a town we were passing through and not planning on staying in though.

I would get him that money. I'd send him to college to become a teacher then we'd have a kid then I'd send them to college as well if they wanted to.

I nodded a little at my plan and squeezed his hand tightly. I mentally told him not to worry, that I would make him happy. But I needed to make him happy now. I couldn't give him all that right now.

I smiled at him and nudged him slightly then looked away quickly like I didn't do anything. He nudged me back playfully.

“What are you doing?” I asked looking at him confused, acting like I didn't do anything.

“Nothing,” he said with a shrug.

“Alright,” I said slowly and waited a moment before nudging him again.

He laughed a little. “Can I help you?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” I said with a small grin.

He gave me a skeptical look before nodding. “Whatever you say.”

I grinned a little bigger and nudged him.

“I can't notice you right now, we’re in the desert,” he commented and smirked at me.

“Notice me? I don't need noticing,” I told him.

“You seem to want something, maybe you just like annoying me,” he teased.

“Am I annoying you?” I asked quickly and dropped my grin to step away from him.

“I'm teasing, love,” he replied.

“Oh, okay,” I said nodding.

He stepped closer to me to wrap an arm around my waist, holding me close as we walked. I smiled at him and nudged him again with a laugh.

He kissed the top of my head, laughing back. I wrapped an arm around him and rubbed his back in a circle with the palm of my hand.

We walked for a long time like that, not really saying anything, just enjoying one another's company. It got dark before we could find a town or a ledge to hide under.

I kept walking even though I was about to fall over with exhaustion. After a while, I was just walking with my eyes closed.

“Are you tired?” he asked, laughing a little.

I nodded without opening my eyes to look at him.

“Come on,” he cooed and stopped walking to pull me into his lap.

“I'm sorry,” I said sleepily and nuzzled into him.

“It's okay,” he cooed and kissed my forehead.

“Okay,” I breathed and leaned against him.

He rocked me slightly and started singing softly and slowly to me. I tried to stay awake so I could focus and listen to him but I kept dozing off. I jumped awake and blinked up at him.

He grinned at me, but I could see how tired he was. “Would you like me to stop so you can sleep?”

“No, I like hearing you sing,” I told him shaking my head.

“I didn't want to disturb you,” he commented before he started singing softly again.

I watched him and forced my eyes to stay open. He closed his eyes and leaned against me, still singing softly.

“You should get some sleep,” I told him softly after he was done with his song.

He nodded and laid back in the sand, holding me against his chest. I buried my face into his neck and took a deep breath, smiling at his scent and ran my fingers through his hair gently.

It wasn't too much longer before he started snoring lightly. I sighed a little happily and finally let myself fall asleep.

I sat at the table of the new hotel room. It took us nearly a week to get to this town and there was practically nothing here. It was nice though. Peaceful, quiet, barely any people.

I snacked on the bunch of grapes Reese had stolen from the store and fiddled with the radio. It had been sitting on the table when we first got here. I figured while I waited for Reese to clean up I'd entertain myself.

I looked around the room, popping another grape into my mouth. I liked this one. It reminded me of the coast. Light wood, pale blue walls, beautiful watercolor paintings.

I smiled and returned to the radio. I wondered how long we’d stay, probably not very long. We always seemed to get tracked down pretty quickly when we stayed put.

I skimmed through the stations, hearing more music than I used to. I swayed slightly and stopped when I found a talk show.

“There is still no sign of Odin Lukin, a young Terran male. He disappeared from the Terran capital almost a year ago without a trace. The President of Terra is offering a great reward for any hints as to where the boy has gone,” a woman announced.

I turned off the radio quickly and set it back in the center of the table. Had it really almost been a year? Why was the President even looking for me? I assumed he had just given up, thinking I was dead. Now I had two authorities looking for me.

I swallowed hard and ran my fingers through my hair. We'd have to be careful. If that announcement was broadcasting all the way over here, people would really start looking for me.

“Oh, grapes,” Reese said from behind me and reached around to grab one and pop into her mouth.

I realized I was breathing hard and swallowed again to relax. “Yeah, I washed them off,” I explained.

“They're good,” she praised and walked over to the bed to look for some clothes.

I stared at the radio a moment before shaking my head and standing up to walk up behind her. I placed my hands on her hips and kissed her neck lightly.

She laughed a little and leaned into me slightly. “Can I help you?” she asked curiously.

I laughed a little and just shrugged. “I don't know,” I said against her neck.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied and tilted her head back slightly.

I kissed down her neck slowly and ran my hands down her hips. She let out a happy little noise and laughed nervously.

“My girl,” I breathed and pulled her up against me.

She laughed some more and turned her head to look up at me. “Am I?”

“Yes, Ma'am,” I told her with a grin.

She grinned back. “My man,” she replied.

I felt my face burn and I nuzzled into her neck before stepping away from her. “Sorry, I should let you change,” I replied and started unbuttoning my shirt so I could go shower.

She stumbled slightly from me stepping away. “Oh, right,” she said nodding and laughing.

I grinned at her and laughed. “Isn't that what you want to do?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding quickly and dug through the bag for some clothes.

“Nervous,” I teased and pulled off my shirt to throw it on the bed.

“I am not,” she told me laughing a little.

“Yes, Sir,” I mocked with a grin.

She scoffed and shook her head. I pulled off my jeans and stepped behind her again. I grazed my fingers through her hair and kissed her head softly. She leaned into me again and played with a piece of her hair.

“Yes, Sir,” I teased softly again and pressed my hips against her.

She laughed and shook her head again. “Whatever,” she mumbled.

I nuzzled my face into her neck again. “You're just mad because you know it's true,” I teased and swayed with her slightly.

“I'm not nervous,” she told me.

“Fine,” I sighed and stepped away again to walk to the bathroom.

She stumbled back again and started to say something but decided against it for some reason.

“What is it?” I asked curiously, glancing over at her.

“Nothing,” she said shaking her head and looked over her shoulder to smile at me.

“Are you sure?” I asked curiously.

“Yes, Sir,” she said nodding then shook her head. “I mean, yeah, I'm sure. Sorry.”

I laughed a little at her. “I'll be back,” I promised, wondering if that's what it was. I walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind myself.

The bathroom was even nice. I admired it before getting in the shower to let hot water run across my back. I stood there for a long time, just enjoying the heat.

I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist before walking out of the bathroom. I went over to the bed to dig for some clean clothes.

I felt Reese come up behind me and ran her fingers down my spine slowly. I shuddered and grinned.

“Hello,” I greeted, laughing a little.

“Hello,” she replied and kissed my back lightly.

I laughed and kept digging through the clothes. She hesitated and rubbed her hands up and down my sides, kissing my back again.

“Do you need something?” I asked, turning to glance at her.

“Nope, go ahead,” she told me with a shrug and nodded to the bag. “I don’t mind.”

I grinned and turned back to the bag. I kept looking for a pair of jeans for myself.

I heard her chuckle softly and kissed my back again.

I looked at her curiously. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing,” she said shaking her head quickly and forced herself to stop laughing.

I looked back at the bag, shaking my head. I dug through it a little more before just dumping it across the bed. All that was in there were her clothes.

“Reese,” I complained and turned around to face her.

“Yes?” she asked curiously.

“Where are my jeans?” I asked curiously.

“They should be in the bag, are they not?” she asked raising an eyebrow.

“No, no they're not,” I told her.

“Where’d you put all your jeans then?” she asked.

“I put them in the bag,” I told her, remembering when I folded them up.

“Then they should be in the bag,” she replied like it was obvious and smiled a little at me.

“Did you hide my clothes?” I asked laughing, surprised that she would do something like that.

“No, Sir,” she said shaking her head. “Why would I hide your clothes?”

“I don't know, maybe you want me to trot around without anything on,” I commented and moved the sheets around to look for them.

“I do not,” she told me.

“Then help me find my jeans,” I told her laughing.

“Alright, alright,” she said and turned around to start looking over the room without moving.

“You are something else,” I said laughing and nudged her as I walked by to look in the kitchen.

“Am I now? How is that?” she asked and trotted behind me.

“Because you hid my clothes,” I said through laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” she asked.

“It's funny,” I replied and looked around, then turned to look at her.

“How is it funny?” she asked curiously and sat down on the counter.

“Because it's very unlike you to pull a strange stunt like that,” I explained and walked over to her.

“Then how do you know that I hid them? Maybe you put them somewhere else,” she suggested.

“I wouldn't have done that without remembering,” I replied shaking my head.

“I don’t know what to tell you then,” she said with a shrug and smiled at me.

“You suck,” I told her and shook my head.

“I do not,” she told me sitting up straighter.

I laughed and walked back to the bed, half expecting my clothes to be there. Nope. I sighed and just climbed into bed, it was getting late anyways.

“Give up?” she asked hopping off the counter.

“Yeah, I'm just going to stay like this,” I told her, glancing over.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “You’re just going to sleep in your wet towel?” she asked.

“Good point,” I said nodding and pulled the covers over myself before throwing the towel onto the floor.

“You could at least hang the towel up,” she scolded and walked over to pick it up off the floor.

“Would you like me to do it?” I asked and sat up a little more.

“If you want, it is your towel,” she told me.

I shrugged. “You've already picked it up,” I told her with a smirk.

She sighed a little and tossed the towel over my head before walking off chuckling. I made a loud complaining noise before pulling it off of my head. She mocked my complaint and strode into the kitchen.

I climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom to hang up my towel.

“It's hung up, your majesty!” I called out dramatically and walked back to the bed to curl up under the covers.

“Good,” she replied and walked out of the kitchen wearing one of my shirts that practically swallowed her and popped another grape into her mouth.

“So you get to wear my clothes, but I can't?” I asked, I assumed everything was hidden in the kitchen, but I wasn't getting up to find it tonight.

She looked down and looked back up at me with a smile. “Well, would you look at that,” she teased and sat down on the bed.

“Aren't you funny,” I sneered playfully and placed my hands behind my head.

“I like to think so,” she said nodding and leaned back against the headboard.

I looked up at her. “Alright, now what?”

She examined me carefully. “You should get some sleep,” she said with a grin and flipped over onto her stomach and turned her head away from me.

“That's mean,” I told her and laughed.

“Is it now? How so?” she asked without looking back over.

“Because you obviously wanted my attention and now you have it,” I explained.

“That’s not very mean,” she told me.

“Well maybe I want your attention,” I complained.

She turned her head to look at me and blinked sweetly. “Can I help you?”

I nodded. “Yes, Ma'am,” I replied.

“What can I help you with?” she asked curiously.

I leaned forward and kissed her softly.

“I see,” she said laughing a little in between kisses.

I placed my hand on the back of her head to hold her close. She sat up carefully to kiss me easier and leaned into my hand slightly. I propped myself up on my elbow and kissed her deeply. She placed her hands on either side of my neck and rubbed my jaw gently, kissing me back.

A noise escaped my throat, I ran one hand down her side. She scooted closer and pulled away slightly to stare at me. I felt my face burn and I swallowed hard.

“You do that a lot,” she commented and ran her thumbs across my cheeks gently.

I laughed nervously. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Why do you do it?” she asked.

“I don't do it, it just sort of happens when I get nervous,” I explained.

She grinned a little and moved her hands up to rub beside my eyes. “You’re nervous?” she asked curiously.

“A little,” I admitted.

“What makes you nervous?” she asked.

“You were staring at me,” I explained.

She nodded and pondered for a moment before taking her time to admire every inch of me that was showing.

My face burned even more and I looked away from her gaze.

“What’s wrong? I thought I was allowed to stare,” she mentioned.

“You are,” I promised softly. “I'm just not used to it, none of the other girls ever stared.”

“Soldiers aren’t allowed to stare at other soldiers,” she told me and kissed along my jaw. “Soldiers aren’t allowed to inflict or accept any form of affection,” she continued slowly and kissed down my neck. “Soldiers aren’t allowed to love,” she told me softly.

“Good thing we aren't soldiers anymore,” I breathed and placed my hand on her lower back.

“Good thing we won’t be soldiers again,” she replied and scooted closer to sit on my lap. She continued to kiss my neck slowly and ran her fingers along my chest.

I let out a shaky breath and laid down flat on the bed.

“Because I don’t know how I’d go without getting affection now,” she told me softly and grazed her teeth up my throat.

I made a happy noise and tilted my head back for her.

“I guess you would have to go without affection too,” she mentioned and ran her lips across my jaw lightly.

“I don't think I'd like that very much,” I mentioned and grabbed her hips.

“Would you not?” she asked softly. “Why is that?”

“I love you too much to just have you taken away,” I replied. “I'd miss hugging you, holding you, and kissing you,” I listed.

“Good thing we’re on the same page,” she commented and kissed my neck deeply.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied and squeezed her hips tighter.

She ran her hands up to grab my hair and tilt my head back more so she could kiss me easier. I held my head tilted at the angle she wanted and pulled her close. She pulled away slightly, breathing hard and kissed my lips lightly.

“Odin,” she breathed softly against my lips.

My heart raced and I kissed her deeper, clutching her hips. She gripped my hair tightly and held me still. I leaned up more, trying to get closer to her. She hesitated but pushed me back down so I couldn’t lean up and kissed me deeply.

I made a complaining noise, but kissed her greedily. She quickly let me up and let go of my hair. I breathed hard and sat up to grab her roughly. I pulled her hips against mine and ran one hand up her back to press her against my stomach and chest. She got onto her knees to look down as she kissed me, tilting my head back again.

I kissed her greedily again, suddenly desperate for her, like she was going to leave. She kissed me back and let go of my hair to start unbuttoning my shirt that she was wearing slowly.

I breathed hard and watched her with a smile. She noticed my excitement and slowed down even more, teasing me. I made another complaining noise, but waited patiently. She laughed a little at me.

“Do you want your shirt back?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said nodding.

She nodded and looked down to examine the shirt. “I kind of like it though,” she teased.

“Then I'll let you borrow it,” I told her.

“Thanks,” she said and started buttoning it back up slowly.

“I mean not right now,” I said quickly.

She chuckled and kissed me slowly. “Why not?” she asked raising an eyebrow.

“Because you don't need it,” I explained.

“Then I guess you can have it back until I do,” she said and ran her fingers through my hair as she kissed me deeper.

I nodded and kissed her back. I ran my fingers down her shirt to the buttons that she had left. I started unbuttoning them quickly before she changed her mind again. She let go of my hair to pull her shirt off without pulling away.

I ran my fingers up her bare back, pulling her against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled into me. I nuzzled back and ran my fingers through her hair. She pulled away to lean into my hand and closed her eyes blissfully.

“Are you happy?” I breathed and pushed her head against my chest gently.

She nodded and took a deep breath, exhaling happily. “Are you happy?”

“More than I've ever been,” I breathed and nuzzled against her.

“Good, you deserve to be happy,” she told me softly.

“As do you,” I replied.

She nodded and traced her fingers along my side gently. I let my breathing steady and rubbed her back lightly with the palm of my hand. She stayed quiet for a long time before pulling away to lay her head on my lap and look up at me with a smile. I sighed happily and nuzzled my head into the pillows, closing my eyes. She rolled over to lay her head on my stomach and traced little shapes on my chest with her fingertips.

I shuddered pleasantly and wrapped an arm around her. She kissed my stomach softly and ran a finger along my hips gently. I smiled and shifted a little.

“Sorry,” she said and went back to just tracing shapes on my chest.

“No, no, it's okay,” I promised softly.

“Oh, okay,” she said nodding a little but didn’t go back to do it again.

I leaned into her more and kissed her cheek gently. She smiled a little and nuzzled into my stomach.

“You're mine,” I told her softly, running my fingers through her hair slowly.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied with a nod and smiled at me.

“My pretty girl, my perfect girl,” I breathed with a smile. “I'd do anything for you.”

“You would?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” I assured her.

She thought about it for a moment. “Is that what love is?” she asked. “When you’d do anything for someone?”

“Yes, Ma'am,” I replied.

“I love you,” she told me softly.

I smiled. “I love you.”

She smiled back and scooted up to lay her head above where my heart was. I tried to relax so it wouldn't race and bother her. She rubbed my chest slowly with the palm of her hand.

“Are you tired?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I admitted, my legs ached from walking all day.

“You should get some sleep,” she told me.

“Are you going to stay?” I asked softly and wrapped my arms around her.

“Stay with you? Of course, I don’t have anywhere else to go,” she told me softly.

I nodded and curled up slightly, squeezing her closer.

“It’s okay, I’m right here,” she cooed softly and continued to rub my chest slowly.

“Don't leave,” I told her softly without thinking.

“I won’t, I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to say that,” I said softly, but nuzzled against her more.

“It’s okay, I understand,” she assured me.

I nodded and sighed with relief. I couldn't lose her too. I swallowed hard thinking about it. I didn't know why I was thinking about all of this all of a sudden.

Soon, she stopped rubbing my chest and her breathing steadied slightly. I leaned against her and sighed happily before dozing off as well.

I waited to make sure that he was asleep before pulling away carefully and crawling out of bed. I’d have to hurry. He didn’t want me to leave him. I wasn’t going to be gone long but I didn’t want him waking up and me being gone.

I dug through the clothes he poured out on the bed and pulled on a pair of black jeans and a gray hoodie before grabbing the gun I had stolen from under the mattress. I grabbed the empty bag and the key card and walking out of the room, closing the door behind me quietly. I walked down the hall to the stairwell, knowing the elevator would be too noticeable. I ran down the stairs and out the lobby easily without being questioned.

It was dark out and there was practically nobody out. I walked out of the hotel and looked around. I saw a small store down the street and headed to it, making sure I still had my pistol in the back of my pants. I shouldn’t need it but just in case.

I walked into the store and offered the man behind the register a smile. “Where’s your baby food?” I asked curiously.

“Back wall to the left,” he replied returning the smile and pointed me in the right direction.

“Thank you,” I said and walked to where he had pointed. I waited a couple minutes before swiping a couple of the glass containers onto the floor. They shattered and the food went everywhere. I walked back up to the register, making sure to look terrible. “I’m so sorry, I tried to reach the top shelf and made a horrible mess,” I told him.

“Oh, no worries, I’ll get it,” he promised and walked over to a door that led to a small closet. He grabbed a mop and walked to the back. After I knew he wouldn’t see, I walked behind the desk and opened the register quietly, taking all the cash and stuffing it into my bag. I closed it and followed after him.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked him.

“No, Ma'am, I've got it. Don't worry, what was it you were trying to reach?” he asked curiously.

“That one up there,” I said pointing at a glass container of some green stuff on the top shelf.

He grabbed it and handed it to me. “I'll be up there in a moment to ring it up,” he replied before returning to the mess.

“Thank you, Sir, I really am sorry,” I told him before walking back up to the register. I set the container on the counter and walked out of the store and back to our hotel.

I walked in carefully, hoping Odin wasn't awake. I walked into the kitchen and took the wads of cash out of my bag and climbed onto the counter to stash on top of one of the cabinets.

I carefully got back down and walked back over to the bed and crawled in next to Odin. I laid down, exhausted from staying up so late. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes to doze off.

Right before I could fall asleep, the sun shone through the window right into my eyes. I groaned and rolled over onto my stomach to ignore it. I didn't get any sleep. Great. We'd have to leave so I wouldn't get caught for stealing.

I heard him shift around before he wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling his face into my hair.

“Good morning,” I said sleepily.

“Good morning,” he replied sleepily and kissed my cheek softly before nuzzling back into my hair.

“We should get ready to go before it gets too late in the day,” I mentioned after laying there after a while.

“Are we leaving already?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah,” I said nodding, hoping he wouldn’t ask.

He sighed. “Can we at least make breakfast here?”

“Yeah, we can eat breakfast,” I replied.

“Good,” he said and sat up to stretch. “Haven't had a hot meal in a while.”

“Maybe they’ll have breakfast downstairs so we don’t have to worry about cooking,” I mentioned.

“Maybe,” he said nodding and leaned against the headboard.

“Unless you want to cook,” I said with a shrug and crawled off the bed to stretch.

“We should save our food,” he replied.

“That’s true,” I agreed.

He looked over at me. “Can I have my pants back now?”

I laughed. “You have to find them,” I told him.

He grumbled something and crawled out of bed to walk into the kitchen. “I can't go eat if I'm not dressed,” he told me.

I followed him. “Better hurry then,” I told him.

He let out a loud complaining noise and started looking through the cabinets.

I copied his complaint and hopped up on the counter to watch him.

“Do you enjoy this or something?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged and laughed at him. I watched him carefully, making sure he didn’t get close to my stash of money. I don’t know why he was looking in the kitchen.

He groaned loudly again and started checking in random places.

“You’re not very good at this,” I commented.

“Well, I thought maybe you'd be nice and just let me have them back,” he commented and looked at me. “I didn't think I'd wake up and still have to search.”

“Why would I make it easy for you?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“I don't know,” he said with a shrug.

“Think, Odin,” I told him.

“It's hard to think with your pants off,” he told me.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“All I can think about is the fact that I don't have any clothes,” he explained. “But I know you didn't put them in the bathroom, because I was in the bathroom, unless you moved them. Did you put them under the bed?”

“You’ll have to check,” I told him with a shrug.

“This is such a waste of time,” he said through laughter and walked back to the bed.

I hopped off the counter to follow him, waiting for him to find them.

“You suck,” he claimed and started pulling his clothes out. “I was convinced you had burned them.”

“I wouldn’t do that. Then I’d have to go out and get you new clothes so we could leave,” I replied and hopped onto the bed to smile big at him.

He shook his head at me and pulled on a pair of jeans. “That's better,” he claimed and dug through the pile to find a shirt.

“Do you not like walking around like that?” I asked laughing.

“No, I feel like everyone in the world is staring at me,” he replied. “I hate that feeling.”

“Well, now you got your pants back, good job,” I praised.

He glared up at me playfully. “Yeah, no thanks to you,” he commented and pulled on a white and black plaid button up.

“You’re welcome,” I said proudly.

He shook his head and sat down to fold up the pile. I chuckled at him and crawled over to wrap my arms around his shoulders and lean against his back.

“I think you just liked watching,” he teased and swayed slightly.

“You wish,” I teased back and reached down to help him fold.

He gave me a skeptical look and laughed.

“You’re just mad that I wasn’t strutting around with you,” I continued.

“Yeah,” he said with a dramatic sigh.

“Maybe next time,” I joked.

“I will burn all of our clothes,” he joked back.

“Great,” I said rolling my eyes.

“Just to see you strut around,” he continued.

“I wouldn’t be strutting. I’d be lying in bed all day,” I told him.

“Why?” he asked.

“Just so you couldn’t see me strut around,” I told him with a grin.

“I've already seen you,” he told me. “So it doesn't matter if you hide or not.”

“Then I guess I’ll just keep my clothes on all the time,” I mentioned.

“What about when you shower?” he asked curiously.

“I’ll take my clothes in the bathroom with me so you couldn’t burn them,” I explained.

“Okay,” he said nodding with a grin. “Okay.”

“Alright then,” I said with a nod and crawled off of him.

He finished folding and set everything on the bed. “Breakfast?” he asked curiously and offered me his hand.

“Sounds good,” I said nodding and took his hand with a yawn.

He laughed and kissed the side of my head before walking me out the door. He led me down to the lobby, there were tons of people and all sorts of pleasant smells filled the room. I took a deep breath to take it all in and walked to the line where the food was. There was so much, I don’t know how I’d eat it all.

“Just get what looks good,” Odin told me as he grabbed a plate. There was tons of food separated into their own little sections. I grabbed one as well and followed Odin, getting everything that he got since I had no idea what anything was.

He took me over to a table and started eating. “Definitely better than cooking myself, I like being lazy,” he claimed.

I laughed and looked down at my plate to decide what to eat first. I chose to eat a piece of toast that had some purple liquid type stuff on it. It tasted like grapes.

“You seem hesitant,” he pointed out. “What's bothering you?”

“Nothing, sorry, I just don’t know what’s good,” I explained.

He examined my plate. “Everything looks good to me. These things are sweet, these are salty,” he told me, gesturing at different things on my plate.

I nodded and started eating the thing he said was sweet. I nodded in approval and continued eating. “Thank you,” I said after I had swallowed.

“You're welcome,” he told me with a smile. He continued eating and looked around the room curiously.

It was nice in here, it wasn't as elegant as the other places, but it was still nice. There was a flat screen in the corner that didn't have the counter of food. The floors were a light colored wood, the tables and chairs were a little bit darker.

I picked through my food, only eating about half of it before looking around.

“Do you need a drink?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” I said nodding.

“Water? Or something else?” he asked curiously.

“What else could I get?” I asked.

“There's apple juice, orange, milk,” he listed.

“I’ll just take water,” I told him.

He nodded and stood up to walk over to the counter of food. I watched him for a moment before looking around again, feeling more paranoid than before.

He came back, carrying two drinks. One was my water and the other was an orange color. He was staring up at the TV. He sat down slowly and slid my drink to me.

“What’s that?” I asked gesturing to his drink.

“Orange juice,” he replied slowly, still staring up at the TV.

I nodded and looked up at the TV as well to see what he was watching. I couldn't hear it very well, but I could see an old photo of Odin up on the screen.

“We should get going,” I told him softly.

“Yeah,” he said slowly and stood up, looking almost dumbstruck.

“Act normal,” I told him and stood up with my plate and offered a smile.

He nodded and smiled back. He grabbed his plate, cramming the rest of his food in his mouth.

I threw away my plate and led him back up to our room, making sure that we didn’t draw attention to ourselves.

“It's the Terran government,” he told me once I shut the door. “They're still trying to find me.”

“What do they want with you? Do you know?” I asked.

“They want me back,” he replied.

“For what?” I asked curiously.

“I don't know, I don't even know why they're still looking. The President offered me a job, but we never really got past that. The next day I was with you in Opes,” he told me, looking nervous.

“Do you think he’d still let you have a job?” I asked and walked over to the bed and grabbed our bag to start stuffing clothes into it.

“I don't know, he may want me dead,” he replied. “Lots of people do these days.”

“Are you willing to risk that?” I asked.

“What are you suggesting?” he asked slowly. “Go back to Terra? They'd kill you.”

I nodded, even though he was right. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out. We just have to get out of here,” I told him and continued stuffing clothes.

“I'm not taking you back to Terra, they'd recognize you immediately,” he told me and walked over to help. “It's fine, it's just freaky to be hunted down by two powerful authorities.”

“We’re going to Terra. We don’t have any other place to go. If we stay here then we’ll be chased our whole lives. If they try to kill me, I’ll make sure they don’t,” I told him.

“That's no way to live, Reese,” he told me softly. “You deserve to be as happy as everyone else. I'm not taking you to place that you'll be miserable in.”

“Odin, we have to go. If they threaten me, just tell them they can’t have you,” I suggested.

“They'd take you when I wasn't around,” he mentioned and thought about it. He stared at me curiously.

“I can protect myself,” I promised. “Or you could just not leave.”

“You said you wanted to start over,” he mentioned.

“We can start over there. You’d get a job and maybe I could get one too. We could get the money to send you to college,” I told him.

“Yeah, yeah, I got that, but how much are you willing to change to start over?” he asked.

“However much I have to,” I said with a shrug. “What are you suggesting?”

“Blonde hair, new name, new back story,” he replied. “You'd be an entirely new person.”

“I can do that,” I said nodding. I’ve had to have a lot of disguises in my life.

He nodded and ran his fingers through my hair. “I can find the right dye, how blonde do you want to be?”

“Dark blonde so it wouldn’t look too weird,” I explained.

He nodded and smiled at me. “I think you'll be a pretty blonde. You get to pick a new name too.”

“What could my name be?” I asked then shook my head. “We'll figure it all out later, now we have to get in contact with the President to figure out what he wants.”

“Right,” he said nodding. “How are we supposed to contact him without giving away our location?”

“Does that radio work?” I asked pointing at it on the table.

“Yeah, I was messing with it the other day,” he replied.

I walked over to turn it on and started scrolling through the stations. “What station is the one with the President?”

“I don't know,” he replied and walked over. “I heard a report about me on this one though,” he told me and selected a station.

I listened closely. It was a talk show with the President luckily. I quickly turned the radio over and took the back off to start messing with the wires. I rewired one of the speakers to make a microphone.

“Ask him what he wants with you,” I told him. “Make it quick so they can't track us.”

He nodded and took the radio from me. He hesitated. “President of Terra?” he asked curiously.

It went quiet for a moment. “Yes, who is this?” the President asked slowly.

He swallowed hard. “This is Odin Lukin.”

“Oh, hello, Mr. Lukin,” he replied.

“You're looking for me?” Odin asked.

“Yes, Sir, I am,” he told him.

“Why?” he asked.

“I still have that open spot for you,” he mentioned.

“How am I to trust you, Sir?” he asked.

“Do you have any reason not to?” he asked curiously.

“I've been through a lot since the capital,” he replied.

“I understand but I assure you that you can trust me,” he told me.

Odin looked at me curiously. “Why are you still looking? Wouldn't you just assume I was dead and move on? Surely you have a reason, Sir.”

“Well, I know you're not dead because the Opes military is still looking for you. I'll explain why if you accept my offer,” he explained.

“I have a friend that I would like to bring back, if she cannot come, then I won't,” he told him.

“Who is this friend? The one that you came to the capital with?” he asked.

“No, Sir. We broke apart after we escaped the military for safety reasons,” he replied.

“Then who is it?” he asked.

Odin looked up at me.

“Come up with something,” I mouthed. I thought quickly. “Riley,” I said quickly with a shrug.

“Her name is Riley,” he replied. “We met up while I was in hiding.”

“And how can I trust Miss Riley?” he asked.

“She's taken care of me and it was her idea to contact you in the first place. I was fearing the worst and was just going to remain in hiding, but she convinced me otherwise,” he replied.

“And she's Opes?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir,” he replied.

“I see,” he said slowly.

“I won't come if she can't,” he replied. “I don't want to waste either of our time, Sir.”

“I understand. We'll have to question her when you two get here. I'll send an aircraft for you,” he told us.

“Where?” he asked curiously. “I'd like to stay away from the Opes military if you don't mind.”

“We can pick you up right where you are if you’d like or near,” he offered.

“Near, at dark preferably,” he replied.

“Alright, we have your coordinates so be ready at the east end of the city at sundown,” he told us.

I took the radio from him. If he knew where we were then the Opes military could know. I threw the radio onto the ground and stomped my heel onto it. We had our information.

“Sorry, I talk a lot,” he told me.

“It’s fine, good thing I’m here,” I said offering a smile.

He smiled sheepishly and looked at the floor.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I'm still not a very good soldier, huh?” he asked curiously. “I can't think like one, I've tried.”

“It’s okay, you aren’t a soldier, remember?” I asked and stepped closer to grab his hands.

“Right,” he said nodding and squeezed my hands. “I'll go get the hair dye,” he told me.

“Alright, I’ll stay here and pack,” I replied.

He nodded and reached into the bag to grab a twenty. “Ten minutes,” he told me.

“Be careful,” I told him, squeezing his hands tightly.

“Yes, Ma'am,” he replied and squeezed my hands back before walking out of the room.

I watched him carefully before going back to packing our clothes. I walked into the kitchen to start packing all of our food into the diaper bag. I climbed up on the counter to grab the money I had gotten last night and stuffed it into the bottom of the diaper bag. I walked back over to the bed to take our other money out from under the mattress. I wished I could count how much we had. Then I could figure how much I had to get to send him to college. I didn’t even know how much college costs.

I finished packing and sat on the bed to wait for him. I thought about a backstory I could use for Riley. I decided to stick with not having parents. They could have died when I was very young. I was from Princeton, I knew about that city the most. I had lived there my whole life and I worked for a small company there. I had to come up with a last name. Riley Martin. That’d work.

I nodded, proud of my little story and continued waiting for Odin.

He walked back in a few minutes later, reading the back of a box. He shut the door behind himself.

“Bathroom,” he told me, pointing at it without looking up.

I stood up and led him into the bathroom. “Is this going to hurt?” I asked curiously.

“No,” he told me, shaking his head. “You will want to take off your shirt though.”

I nodded and pulled it off and looked up at him as he read the box. He directed me to do a bunch of things before he actually started dying my hair. It didn't take too long for him to finish and let me sit up from leaning over the bathtub.

“Not too bad for my first time dying hair,” he commented and nodded.

“Not too bad?” I asked curiously.

“I thought I'd mess it up,” he explained.

“Does it look natural?” I asked.

“Yeah, it looks really pretty actually,” he commented with a smile. “I didn't have to wet your hair or anything, so you don't have to wait for it to dry.”

I nodded and looked down to play with a piece of it. It looked strange, like it didn’t belong there.

“Go look,” he urged, pointing at the mirror.

I hesitated and walked over to look in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself. The blonde hair was paler than I thought and it made me look tanner. I carefully ran my fingers through it. I nodded in approval and turned to smile at him.

“Thank you,” I told him softly.

“You're welcome, it'll help you fit in a little better,” he explained and ran his fingers through his own hair.

“Do you want to dye your hair? I don’t think you’ll need to but you can if you want,” I offered.

“No, it's okay,” he promised. “I'm used to sticking out.”

“Alright,” I said nodding. “I finished packing and I came up with Riley’s backstory.”

“Alright,” he said nodding and threw away the box of dye.

“What do you want to do until dark?” I asked.

He shrugged and went to the sink to wash off his hands.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

“Yeah, yeah I'm fine,” he promised, nodding quickly.

“Alright,” I said nodding back and offered my hands after he washed them.

He took my hands with a smile. “I hope you like Terra.”

“It’s cold, right?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, much colder than here,” he replied.

I nodded, glad I had stolen a hoodie. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it,” I commented.

“It's like the air is fresh, it's never humid,” he told me.

“Never?” I asked raising my eyebrows.

“I mean after it rains,” he said with a shrug. “But other than that.”

I nodded and thought about it. “Will I be able to get a job too?” I asked.

“I would assume so, they'll probably put you through school,” he commented and ran his fingers through my hair.

“Really?” I asked, not sure if I was excited or not.

“Most likely, yes,” he said nodding. “And if the President is willing to keep his promises it'll all be free.”

“Would he send you to school too?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied with a smile.

“Alright,” I said nodding, glad I didn't have to go alone.

“We should probably cut your hair a different way as well,” he mentioned.

“How are you going to cut it?” I asked quickly and ran my fingers through my hair.

“How short do you want it?” he asked.

“How short do you think would be a good length?” I asked looking back to the mirror.

He examined me carefully and ran his fingers through my hair. “Depends on what style you'd like.”

I nodded and imagined my hair at different lengths. I held my finger at my hair right under my shoulder. I looked up at him for approval.

He nodded. “Do you want some type of bangs?” he asked curiously. “It'll frame your face differently making you look different.”