The History of Tomorrow

The History of Tomorrow

The Fun Part and The Kids

Authors note: I claim no ownership of the Predator franchise. Warning: Yautja/Ooman pairing, descriptions of sexual intercourse and murder/death, and bad language. I will be using some information previously stated in ‘The Ripple of a Stone’, if any questions, please email me. Pronunciations at bottom. Good reading!

The beginning of this chapter is more for the fun of it, just playing around with Kella messing with Aja and vise versa. And then, finally, we get into the REAL plot of this story. You didn’t think I would write something that was only romance now did you?

E.M.

“” “” “” “”

“I do not think I can begin to say how wondrous that was.” Aja whispers into Kellas ear as he carries her to the bed. He plops her down and nestles his face in her neck, carefully nipping at her with his mandibles.

“I am just glad it went over well!” She sighs and wraps her arms around his shoulders, her fingers gently feeling his textured skin.

“It went over very well.” He purrs and licks up her neck, his tongue then sliding over her lips. Kella opens her mouth for him and Aja plunges into her, his mandibles wrapped around her face and tongue dancing with hers. With a free hand, Aja takes off her shoulder guard and tosses it to the floor with the rest of his own armor, a loud ‘clink’ sounding from the connection.

“WHOA!” Kella yells suddenly and pushes his up by his shoulders. Aja just stairs down at her with shock in his eyes, wondering what was going on. “You carried me as a child?” She asks and he groans in awkwardness. Aja rolls over and lay’s next to his Kella, a hand over his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispers as she moves closer, her chin planting on his shoulder.

“I don’t want to remember it, let alone tell it!” Aja breathes out. “That was the most embarrassing day of my life!” He claims.

“I was your most embarrassing day?” Kella says sadly, a little hurt that she would have made him feel like that.

“No, Kella no.” Aja sooths and cups her face, bringing it closer to his. “It was embarrassing to hold an Ooman pup like one of my own, when I don’t even carry my own like that!” He laughs, but Kellas face is still gloomy. But not for the same reason. It wasn’t that he had carried her. And it wasn’t that he felt odd about it. It was the realization that her Aja already has offspring of his own, a life and a family and here she is, on her bed with him.

“So you thought your father telling me would be better then you?” She says slyly, hiding her sadness at the fact he has already lived his life when she hasn’t even begun hers. Aja growls suddenly and jumps on her, almost sitting on her hips but sure not to hurt her. He smiles down at her shocked face which soon turned into a playful glair.

“I think it even odder to talk of my father when we are in the midst of mating.” Aja purrs as he slides his hands under the hem of her shirt.

“We’re mating are we? I thought we were having a conversation.” She says coolly but soon giggles loudly as he gently lets his claws tickle up her sides, moving the shirt up slowly before pulling it completely off her head, and into the corner of the room. Aja sits up and looks down at her inquisitively, almost judging her but in a very mischievous manner.

“My Kella…” He sighs and she smiles. Kella sits up, placing small and light kisses as she goes up his body, then pulls him down to be eye to eye.

“My Aja…” She says back, her tongue slowly leaving her own mouth to trace his. Aja purrs loudly and rolls over on the bed with her in his arms. They missed each other more then thought possible.

“” “” “” “”

Ajas mind slowly awakens to a very odd but delicious smell. He opens his eyes and smiles when the sun light makes Kellas bed glow, the softness of it almost too wonderful to leave. But that smell, he needs to know what it is. After grabbing and rightfully attaching his metal loincloth, Aja walks down stairs as his nose tells him where to go, and it seems to be the kitchen.

“How did I know bacon would get you up?” Kella laughs and smiles at her Aja, him visibly sleepy from just getting up. Suddenly he yawns at such a loud tenor that she has to cover her ears, but her eyes still on him and her mind saying that he looks so cute. After scratching his stomach, Aja moves to stare down at the large metal plate with strips of searing meat. Just as he is about to grab one, Kella grabs him first. “They are not done yet and they are very hot.” She says, her hand moving up his arm, her fingers tickling his skin higher and higher. Aja groans at her touch and picks her up, placing her on the white counter top and encasing her in his arms. Kella just smiles up at him, her doing that small gesture of biting her bottom lip that Aja thinks is so arousing. But when he starts sniffing the air and looking back between her and the food, Kella gives up and waits for the bacon to finish with him. Once she places it on a separate plate for him, it’s gone in less then a minute. But as he is downing not only the meat but the other things she calls ‘boiled eggs’, Kella walks into her living room and turns on the television. Nearly unnoticeable as it is built into the wall, this is one of the only things Oomans refused to let go once the take over was done. All that really is shown are old shows from back in the day, old movies and news. She sits herself down on the giant white couch and then is soon unaccompanied by Aja at the other end.

“What is this?” He asks and relaxes back into the soft furniture under him.

“Its call T.V. and it’s an Ooman device that allows you to watch programs.” But when Kella only gets an odd look of confusion, she starts to explain. About an hour later, they settled that it is a reenactment that is recorded and then played for others to see. She just didn’t want to get into it any further.

Aja has to leave by the time dinner rolled around, but was soon back with news that every hunter is allowed to hunt as they please until they are scheduled to leave, and that they may go anywhere on the planet to hunt. And he wants to stay with her. And of course Kella said ‘he better’. By that time he had basically moved in, Aja and Kella had a pretty good system of their days. At nights when she would sleep, he would demand to be with her in bed, despite the fact he would sleep with her only when he needed. And on nights when they were both to exhausted to do much else but fall asleep, well…that was okay too. Aja had seemed to master the idea of the T.V., and is permanently attached to the remote control. The old re-runs of classic and favorite shows is something that would keep his attention for way to long. But when ever Kella tries to get him away from it, he would simply wrestle her into watching it with him.

This night however, Kella refused to stay with him, claiming to be to tired and slinking up into bed. Aja doesn’t mind though as he is completely engulfed in The Godfather trilogy, watching it over and over. The second one is his favorite. He now has the knowledge of what is shown on each channel and with careful claws, he turns it to a movie channel, but doesn’t see what he thought should be there.

“Coming up next, ‘Jurassic Park!’” A voice comes from it and just as Aja is about to change it to another channel, the most ominous and loudest roar is heard and he pauses. Maybe he can watch what ever is next.

About an hour later…

“Kella…” She hears, the voice stealing her from her dreams. “Kella!” She hears again, more insistent. “Kella are you asleep?”

“Yes! Yes, I am asleep Aja!” Kella groans, wrapping her well used bed sheets around her. She hears her Aja growl in impatience and then she suddenly feels her and her white blanket lifted up and being carried down stairs. “What do you want Aja? I have to sleep! I have things to do tomorrow!” She claims as he lay’s down on the couch with her body and blanket on top of him.

“Where are they?” Aja asks in a strong and serious tone.

“Where are who?” Kella whines and turns around to face the T.V. She stares blankly at the old dinosaur movie, not understanding what he wants.

“Where are the beasts? Where can I find them?” He asks and it clicks. Kella instantly bursts laughing, her having to hold her stomach as it hurts so much. “I am speaking of the hunt Kella, this is very serious!”

“They are gone Aja!” Kella giggles and then turns away from the screen to hide her face in his neck, still so very tired.

“Gone? Gone where?”

“The Creators killed them when they found the planet. They are all gone.” She yawns.

“But I see them, one took a bite out of some ones leg! It cannot be a projection.” Aja sighs, clear disappointment in his voice.

“That is exactly what they are Aja.” She yawns and then giggles when he snorts in anger.

“Pity.” Aja growls and then allows her to fall asleep.

When Kella woke up, she was already late as Aja didn’t seem to find it important to wake her when her alarm went off, claiming that having a certain time to wake was absurd. She just kicked him and ran to get dressed. By the time she got out of the house, after pleading with him not to mess up her armory again, and made it to the main street, she was hounded by the people she was hoping to avoid. Instantly tens of reporters and journalists run up her, crowding her and asking question after question. The peoples election for a new governor was just days away and everyone was insisting for her to give her opinion. And until recently she didn’t have one, but now she does.

“Alright! One question at a time!” Kella yells, hushing everyone.

“Who are you voting for?” A woman asks, her ugly red lipstick smeared from the elbows of the others.

“I can’t tell you that.” Kella answers slyly.

“Who do you stand behind?” Someone else asks. “Who do you think would be best to take hold of the position?”

“Now why would you want to know about what I think?” Kella asks as she slowly starts to walk backwards and to her shop, but they follow her.

“Come on Caretaker Kella! Just answer the question!” A man yells, almost angry. And that’s when she has had enough. Kella grabs hold of a long blade and wields it in front of her, all of them backing off a little, but not going away like she hoped.

“I answer, you go!” She says and gets them all to agree. “I am personal friends with a Mr. Adam Becks, and I have to say that he has already impressed me with plans he has told me of. Plans that even though he is not in Office, he has made to help this city. Is that good enough?” She asks and they back off. When Kella finally gets to the shop, she is hounded for being late and having been corralled by reports is not a good enough excuse for her Uncle.

“Something’s different.” Her aunt says with a twinkle in her green eyes. “What’s up with you?

“Nothing.” Kella says as she hauls another case of scrap metal into the shop doors.

“Oh I know its something Kella!” Aunt Ellen says and follows her in. Kella dumps her load in the large area and heads back to the truck.

“And how do you know it’s something?” Kella asks back, a sly smile on her face that she made sure no one could see.

“Because your differnent!” Ellen explains, placing her tiny hands on her tiny waist.

“How am I different?” Kella keeps playing with her Aunt as she goes.

“I know what it is!” The petite woman giggles, clapping her hands in excitement. “You met a nice Ooman male to settle down with haven’t you?” Kella nearly falls down in surprise at her Aunts words, coughing roughly to hold down her laughter at her.

“No! No I swear!” Kella tries, her Aunt just ‘uhuh’ing her. “I swear on my fathers’ grave that I have not ‘met a nice Ooman male to settle down with’.” At that Ellen sighs and walks back into the shop.

“We’re never going get any children from you are we?” She yells and Kella goes back to work.

That night Kella came home with a nice dinner of giant steaks, some to cook and some not to. Aja had already filled up with most of her food during the day, claiming that he needed to keep his interest away from her weapons. But she knew he had been down there. So she simply kissed his cheek and went about cooking.

“What are you doing?” Aja asks, worried about what he is seeing.

“Just trust me!” Kella laughs, spooning in another dollop of peanut butter to use as part of her marinating sauce for her dinner.

“I do trust you Kella, but not that stuff!” He says and points to her sauce the steaks are soaking in. “You Oomans! You have such weird ways to eat!” As Aja went on, Kella just gets more frustrated at him talking and so in desperation, she scoops a giant glob of peanut butter on her finger and before he can stop her, she pushes it into his mouth in the middle of a word. She wipes the sticky mixture around his mouth without scraping her self and then takes her finger out. Aja stagers back as he tries to understand what just happened. He starts licking and moving his mouth around and around to try and get the thick paste from his mouth. But nothing is helping as it is only slowly going away. He leans over the sink and in one powerful push, the stuff flies out and into it. He starts to lick away the remnants with his ever so nimble tongue and turns slowly to the female who did this. The look on Kellas face was one of overconfidence, one that soon turned to fear at seeing her Aja being somewhat angry. Kella drops everything and dashes out of the kitchen, loud footsteps following her. But just as she is turning into the living room, Aja appears in front of her with a sick smile on his face, Kella knowing that he is done being mad and is now well involved with chasing her. She turns on her heal and runs up the stairs, both of them hoping the night would include that room. But just as one foot hits her floor, Aja grabs her waist and lifts her up, Kella screaming in surprise as he is so fast! He drags her to the bed and drops her rather roughly on it.

“You think you are funny female?” He asks in a hiss, Kella really unsure if he is angry or just playing. She starts to back up on the bed but he grabs her ankles, pulling her back. Aja leans down on the bed over her and plunges his tongue into her mouth, both of the groaning from the sensation. Kella arches her back up, wanting to feel more of him on her skin. Ajas hands slowly move up her legs, over her thighs and to her hips. He tugs at them roughly, knowing that when ever he did it his Kella would make the most wondrous sound, and she didn’t hold back. Kella squeals a laugh, something he finds so strangely beautiful and unique. Let’s just say by the time they were finished the steaks were properly marinated.

“” “” “” “”

Three days later Mr. Adam Becks was in Office and Kella was finally left alone. She never neglected her duties of protecting her district, not even with the incentive that her Aja may be in her home. Every now and then he would leave to either hunt, which she adamantly ordered to see any trophies, or to visit the ship and his father. Elder Rhd would never come to her home unannounced any longer, always telling her that he is stopping by. Aja would of course go scarce, simply waiting for his father to call him to actually go back to his Kellas house where they would pretend to hate each other, even getting into mock fights. Every night now Kella will call her Aja a marshmallow head as one of the large, white puffs of eatable foam had ‘accidentally’ left her hand and hit his head…all the way down and across the table.

Still rather sleepy and groggy as it is the middle of the night, all Kella can do is watch with a gratifying smile as Aja places on his Awu’asa, each piece coming together as one. She snuggles into the pillow and groans angrily at him, Aja only smiling and shaking his head. He has to note that sometimes she was rather childish, but she is young in both his and Oomans standards. Once he has all but his mask on, Aja walks to the bed but in defiance Kella moves the covers over her head, trying to be mean but he can almost hear the smiles from her. He sits down next to her and leans over her, one hand on her hip and the other making its way to the top of the blanket.

“I will only be gone for five Ooman nights.” He tries but gets nothing. “Say good-bye to me my Kella.” He purrs into the sheets, even rubbing up and down her side, but still nothing. Aja thrills in laughter when he tickles her side and she giggles, her voice so melodic.

“I don’t want you to go for so long!” Kella finally huffs, pushing the white blanket down but not looking at the Yautja above her.

“I have been invited to hunt with the Elders Kella. This is very important.”

“I know.” She says defeated. “But for so long?”

“We are heading to a different part of this planet.” Aja smiles at her face, still beautiful even though she is sad.

“You have no idea how lucky you are that you get to go places Aja.” Kella tells even sadder. Aja grimaces softly, always the thought that his Kella is something his people own in the back of his mind, not giving them access to roam the planet one of the rules set. He moves a free hand to the back of her head and makes Kella look at him.

“When I get back I promise to take you anywhere you want to.” He says quietly. But when Kella doesn’t give him a reaction, just an emotionless face, he has to wonder if she didn’t understand.

“Like…outside Acropolis?” Kella finally asks, wearily.

“Outside Acropolis. I want you to see this planet as I do my Kella.” Slowly but surly a small smile creeps on her pink lips, though Aja can tell she doesn’t want to smile, but can’t stop it. He thrills at her as he knows Kella has forgiven him, leaning down to trace those smiling lips with his mandibles. Kella suddenly trusts herself up and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him and driving her tongue into his mouth. Aja simply enjoys her touches, her taste but pushes her away. “Kella, I don’t think showing up to meet the Elders smelling of our mating is wise.” He says as he swipes a stray lock of red hair from her face.

“Get back here as soon as you can Aja.” Kella says strongly, her eyes piercing his. “Promise me.”

“I promise.” Aja purrs and with one last breath to catch her scent, he places on his mask, turns on his cloak and leaves her room. When the door closes behind him, Kella suddenly feels like crying. She rests back into bed and smells the scent of him, moaning softly when his aroma fills her. Now all she has to do it sleep and wait for him to come back.

“” “” “” “”

When the sun rises, she is still sound asleep despite the fact her alarm had gone off, twice. But when someone calls over and over, she begrudgingly gets up.

“Yes? Hello?” Kella says half asleep and in a huff.

“Kella Matthews?” A mans voices fills her room. She snuggles into a pillow and nearly groans at her Ajas smell.

“Speaking.” She finally says.

“Ms. Matthews, this is Mr. Jackson from the Mastiff Center. We have what you are looking for.” Instantly Kella jumps out of bed and runs to get dressed.

“I’ll be right there!” She screams and ends the conversation.

“” “” “” “”

Sitting in the back of the society room, Aja sips his drink slowly as he watches a projection from the hunt he had just been on for the past few days. He has to admit that the Ooman projections are much more amusing. After a while though his thoughts to turn his Kella and so he didn’t notice when other hunters joined him. They didn’t seem to mind that he was not paying attention to what was being said, Aja simply staring into nothing. But his mind was anything but doing nothing. He keeps going over what he is doing with Kella. He enjoys mating with her. He enjoys talking with her. He enjoys her, period. But what of it? What can come of he and Kella being together? They must hide it from their peoples. Who knows what his world will think of this now? Kella is young, and has yet to have offspring and become the mother he knows she wants to be. Aja always noticed how his Kella liked to be with other Ooman pups, even going on about a close friend of hers who is with child. Aja knows she cannot, must not have that with him. And somewhere deep inside he hates that fact. But they are together now and all Aja is thinking of is what he is going to do to her when he gets back into her bed this night.

“What troubles you Aja?” Someone asks, stealing him from his juicy thoughts of his Kella. Aja slowly turns his head to find his father looking at him oddly, including a few others as well.

“Nothing father.” Aja answers, both knowing it is a lie and both not willing to call on it.

“We have not seen much of you at the DropShip.” Elder Rhd says like it didn’t mean anything.

“I have been hunting.” He says plainly, trying hard not to lie to his father. “I plan on going farther then the outskirts of the Ooman city though. I have already requested a small jumper.”

“Are you hunting alone or inviting others?” A different Yautja asks, a few in on the conversation before Aja was. But at the question, Aja knows that he needs to be careful or some might suspect something.

“If you want to come along you can, but I do not know where exactly I am going.” Aja says.

“Going to find the scenery that is most pleasing to your eyes?” Elder Rhd laughs, using words from Jed from a past conversation.

“Perhaps.” Aja says with a slight smile.

When the DropShip finally gets back on Ooman ground, Aja takes his time so not to seem overly eager to leave the ship. The sun is past its noon high by the time he starts making his way to his Kella, his body cloaked to all as he jumps over roof tops and runs through streets. A strange but welcome feeling comes to him when he sees her home again, the white color a stark contrast to the grays and black tones of the others. He makes his way to her balcony and opens the door with a smile, she knew he was going to be back today. The sight of her made bed gives him a funny feeling of him needing to mess it up, just for funs sake but he decides not to. There was something about Kella, and her things and life that makes him feel so young sometimes. Aja takes off his mask but the second it leaves his hand and falls to the bed he smells a male. But it’s different somehow. He takes a deep breath and has to control himself from growling at the though of his Kella mating with another male, but in the aroma he can tell two things: one is the male is not Ooman, and two in the male is not Yautja. But he knows it is a male. Aja unsheathes a long blade and slowly makes his way out of the room, the door creaking softly as he goes.

“Just stay.” He hears Kellas voice tell someone to stay and all of the sudden Aja is furious. She has someone in her home, a male someone. With a sneer he jumps off the stairs, unwilling to simply walk down them, and runs into his favorite room, the T.V. room. But Aja stops dead when he sees no Ooman, no Yautja, and no Kella for that matter. But only a small, white, moving ball of fluff. Sitting back on four legs, Aja notes that the beast is just as white as her furniture but with large black eyes and what he assumes a black nose. Suddenly the white ball stands on its four legs and a long appendage starts to wag behind it and then it makes the strangest sound. Its mouth opens and a sharp, high pitched bark comes from the beast and on instinct Aja roars back. What he expected was the ball to roar back, or become defensive. But when the small white fluff squeals like it was hurt and then runs into the kitchen, Aja instantly knows he did something wrong. “Aja!” Kella yells in anger, his suspicions of being in trouble confirmed. With the ball in her arms, she walks to him with a scowl on her face. “Why did you do that?” Kella asks.

“What is that?” Aja asks back, putting his blade away.

“It’s a puppy!” Kella says with a twinkle in her eye.

“YOU HAVE A PUP!” He barks in shock, not understanding that the white thing could be a pup.

“No not a pup, a puppy! A baby of a domestic animal.” She laughs as she pets the puppy in her arms, the long addition on in rump flailing around again. “He is a Tibetan Mastiff but I haven’t chosen a name yet. Say hi!” Kella says and moves the white thing in front of Ajas face. For about a minute the two just smell each other, the puppy reaching its large head towards the Yautja. A Tibetan Mastiff puppy is quite large, about the size of a two year old Ooman and it seems the one in Kellas hands likes Aja. All that can be heard are two separate sniffs from each of them, Ajas mandibles moving slowly in odd ways. And then the puppy suddenly sticks out his long tongue and licks Aja right between the eyes. He rears back and uses the back of his hand to wipe away the wet from his face, Kella laughing while trying to hold the heavy puppy. Just then a buzzer sounds and she says something about a roast and then hands Aja the white ball, telling him to be very, very gentle. Aja lets the light weight thing simply lay on his hand while Kella runs into the kitchen. Once she is out of the room, he maneuvers the white thing around and lifts it to eye level. It opens its mouth, a long pink tongue flopping out, and begins to pant, its tail wagging again.

“What?” Aja asks it, not sure if it speaks. And it did, kind of. The ball barks again, its legs and body moving funnily in his large hands. “That is a very annoying sound.” He tells it.

“That’s how they talk.” Kella says as she comes back into the room with a ball in her hand. She takes back the puppy and places him on the ground and then to Ajas shock, she tosses the ball a little away and it goes after it. But its small mouth can’t get a good grip on it so it simply rolls it back to her.

“It talks?” Aja asks as he knees down beside her as the puppy barks at the ball in her hands.

“Stop calling him an ‘it’. And besides, we all have our own language.” She says is a funny voice while petting the white balls underbelly. Aja just looks at the scene and then bursts into speaking in Yautja, the clicks, barks and chirps instantly getting the puppies attention. Kella just looks to her Aja as he goes on and on like she could understand him. “You better not be swearing at me.” She says when he is done.

“No.” Aja simply barks back and moves to the kitchen, the white ball following his heals. So as he gets to the tiled floor of the kitchen, he not only hears his own clawed toes hammering the floor, but two more pairs. Aja turns around to find the puppy right behind him and Kella laughing.

“He likes you.” He doesn’t say anything to that. Kella just shakes her head and picks the puppy up again, putting him on the counter.

“Should it be on the counter?” Aja asks, only getting a stern look from the female beside him. “Should HE be on the counter?” He asks again.

“Soon he will be to big too so I don’t care.” Kella tells, scathing the puppy behind the ears.

“How big will he get?” He asks as he bends low to look at what was cooking in her over, already feeling hungry from just the smell. Ooman food didn’t seem so disgusting now that he has tasted a few things.

“About as big as me.” Kella laughs as Ajas reaction but doesn’t ask anything more as just the thought that a small animal could get so large impresses him. “So what should we name him?”

“Name him?”

“Well, I can’t go on calling him puppy and you better not go on calling him it.”

“What about Tarei'hasan?” Aja thrills in laughter.

“I don’t think I would like to call our puppy a small bug, or an unworthy opponent.” Kella scolds as she starts to get the puppies dinner of strange smelling puppy food. Aja just laughs and picks the puppy up from the counter, its tail hitting the side of his arm as he sits on the ground with it in his lap.

“There is a large fruit on my home planet that is this color and about the same size. But it is not furry and I don’t think if I open him, he will smell as sweet.”

“What fruit?” Kella asks as she sits a little away from the two males in her life to watch them.

“It is called Naxa and it smells and tastes wonderful. But not like you.” Aja purrs and the puppy bark rapidly at the sound. They laugh for a moment before Aja plays with purring and barking back at the puppy before he decides to play with the ball again. When the puppy runs back to Kella she picks him up and looks right into his eyes.

“Hello Naxa.” She says and both the puppy and Aja seem to like the name. For about an hour, since they had nothing to do but wait for the food to finish and anything else would take longer, Aja and Naxa played in the larger room. Every now and then Aja would growl and Naxa would growl back, enticing a new round of laughter from the Yautja.

“” “” “” “”

A few days later, Kella leaves Aja sound asleep with Naxa nestled into what used to be her spot on his arm. The two are inseparable now that they have almost a basic way of talking down. A small series of barks from Naxa, according to Aja, means he must go outside to do his business. And few more things Kella was shocked that the small puppy has learned as well. But sure to not wake either, she had a shower and dressed in silence. It was rather early in the morning so every now and then she would yawn from being up. The weather had turned chilly so pants were a must, but with the cold came dread as Kella knew Aja would leave when the snow came. With a last look up the stairs, Kella smiles and steps outside. She closes the door behind her and starts to fiddle with her small pocket book of today’s to-dos when she stops in the middle of her walk way. She stairs straight ahead at the house in front of her and then slowly turns her head to the left, feeling someone there. But it was not someone but some people. Sitting on her lawn are twenty five young Oomans, all looking at her with wide eyes and open mouths. But at the front of them all is none other the Aaron, the blond haired, blue eyed boy who Kella had sent, along with the others found, to a detox center. Kella just stares at them blankly with no expression in hopes that one of them would say something first, making the awkwardness of finding them at her house grow every second.

“Hello Caretaker Kella.” Aaron finally says, his voice strong and loud.

“Hello Aaron.” She says back but does not move. “What are all of you doing here?”

“We are clean.” A young Asian girl says, her thin lips turned into a large smile and her eyes tearing.

“We were released from the detox center yesterday.” Aaron begins. “And while in there we were all talking. And now we want to talk to you.”

“Talk to me about what?” Kella asks but still not moving, a little worried about what is going on. Aaron stands, followed by the others, and he walks to be in front of her.

“We want to be like you Caretaker. We…” He pauses and his mouth starts to move as if the words are there, but are unable to be spoken.

“Stop. Think. Process. Speak.” Kella instructs and after a few seconds the boy starts again.

“We want to be like you Caretaker Kella. We want to be Caretakers to, like you. We want to be trained so that we can protect other Districts so Acropolis can be what it was when it was built. We are young, and we all want to do this!” Aaron nearly yells.

“So want to have the kind of responsibility? You want that duty and the task to take care of something as volatile as a District?” Kella asks, her face finally turning into the emotion of suspicion.

“Yes Caretaker Kella.” A few say.

“Are you stupid?” Kella yells. “I did not choose to do this! It was needed!”

“We are needed!” A tall black boy says stoutly.

“Who says?” Kella retorts, her arms crossing over her chest.

“No one need say it.” A tiny girl with a voice smaller then a mouse calls out. “Not all that is to be done needs to be said for it to be done. You see this city as it is Caretaker, and you cannot be for all. But we can.” Kella just raises an eyebrow at the girl, almost not understanding what she had just said.

“Jill isn’t from around here.” Aaron peeps up with a smile. “She is saying that just because the need is not spoken about, does not mean we are not needed. The city needs people like you Caretaker.”

“And you can be like me?” Kella laughs, biting her tongue a little to try to hold it down but unable to.
“We can try.” A deep voice sounds in the back.

“Do you realize that I trained from birth until I was twenty to be what I am today?” She asks.

“We can train harder, longer, faster. Learn more and become like you so we can help.” A girl says, almost sounding snotty.

“You kids are delusional.” Kella says and starts to walk away.

“We just want to help!” Aaron runs in front of her. “Like you! Just think about it! Not only are you helping the Alpha District, but every other one as well. Heck, there are twenty-five of us! We can go to other cities and do what you have! We just…We need you Caretaker Kella.” For a moment Kella stares into Aarons blue eyes, searching him intently and finding only truth. When she looks to the other kids, she sees the same.

“Alright.” Kella says and then walks to her morning appointment. When she gets to the main sidewalk she turns to them one last time. “You have no idea what you guys just got yourselves into.”

“” “” “” “”

Authors note: Again, so sorry for the lateness of this. I feel stupid at making you wait so long.

A special thanks to:

On ff .net: ben revell and Oak Tree Woman

On aff .net: prairiefire, Anon, Kehlan, ....., Muse of Scrolls, and to Death God Dist.

Alright! So I hope this chapter made you laugh because that is what I was going for. But with what happened in the end, I hope now we can get into the real plot of this story. Thanks for reading.

E.M.