What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)

Author's Note: First of all, thank you all for your kind and encouraging reviews for Chapter 1 of "What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)". ^_^ They are appreciated. As per the majority vote, I'm allowing Tor'ac to spend more time in Mya's home, roommates and all. And I hope you enjoy the next part of the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator movies or AVP, although I would like to. XD They belong to Fox.

Chapter 2

Sleep didn’t come easily, but when I finally fell into a somewhat peaceful slumber, I was out until mid-morning. In the recesses of my mind, I heard a growl and then someone screeching, most likely Cassie, and I forced my eyes open. Getting out of bed, I walked outside in pajama pants and a T-shirt to find Cassie shoving Tor’ac outside of the bathroom, shouting,

“Just wait your turn! Don’t you know that girls have to freshen up? Geez!”

“Cassie, take it easy, and keep your voice down,” I told her, rubbing my eyes. “Tor’ac didn’t know any better. All he knows is that the room’s a bathroom.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but he can use the other one,” she said, closing and locking the door.

Tor’ac growled lowly and shook his head before turning towards me and slowly moved back so I could pass. Walking by him, I motioned him to follow me into the bathroom just inside Leah’s room. He nodded and entered, already starting to pull up the armor and cloth covering his nether regions. Hastily, I closed the door and thought, ‘Modest he’s not.’ Shaking my head, I went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

I was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal when Tor’ac came out of Leah’s bathroom and stood just inside the living room. Glancing at him, I pointed at my food and asked,

“Are you hungry, Tor’ac?”

Tilting his head slightly, Tor’ac slowly approached and bent down to look at the bowl. Apparently, he was inspecting my food, and he inhaled and shook his head. Several of his dreadlocks hit me softly, and I twisted my mouth to the side, saying, “Hey! Tor’ac, be careful.” He rolled his eyes and clicked at my protest, and I could almost swear he was saying ‘That couldn’t have hurt you much.’

Raising an eyebrow at his action, I shook my head before continuing to eat my cereal. I had one class this afternoon, and I wanted to be able to go by the gym before that time. Then, I stopped and glanced at Tor’ac as he milled around the room, looking over the various bookshelves. Sighing, I knew I couldn’t just leave him here with Cassie and Leah. Well, Leah might not mind keeping an eye on him, and Cassie had two classes today. Still, I didn’t want to burden either of them.

Once again, he was trying to get out onto the balcony…in broad daylight! I stood up and walked to his side, shaking my head and saying,

“No, Tor’ac. It wouldn’t be a good idea to go outside.”

He gave a short growl and grunted before tapping his talons against the gauntlet on his left wrist. Instantly, Tor’ac vanished from my sight…at least until he moved. I could see the air shuddering as though something were moving, but if he remained still, I had trouble placing his location. However, I soon heard another crackling sound like I heard the night before, and Tor’ac reappeared.

Growling, he tried tapping on his gauntlet again, but it didn’t work. Tor’ac removed the gauntlet and began inspecting it, turning it over in his large hands. Finally, he huffed and stomped over to the dining area, setting the gauntlet on the table near my bowl of cereal. Then, he crossed his arms across his chest, tapping one talon against his forearm.

I knew he was frustrated with the device on his gauntlet, but there was nothing I could do to help there. It was his technology, and Tor’ac was the only one with any knowledge on that. Sighing, I returned to the table and finished my cereal, looking up every so often at Tor’ac as he stared at the gauntlet. Then, I saw him look at the balcony and step towards the door, but he stopped when I asked, “Tor’ac, do you want someone to see you?”

The Yautja glanced at me before huffing and walking to the window to look outside through the blinds. He sighed, and I began to feel bad about confining him here. It almost seemed like he was a caged bird…a very, very large caged bird, but still. Shaking my head, I knew it was too risky for him to go outside at least during the day. Plus, his wounds were still healing, so he couldn’t really move around too much without opening one.

Thinking for a moment, I wondered how I could help Tor’ac without changing my daily schedule too much. At that time, Cassie left the bathroom and looked over at the Yautja before asking,

“Mya, are you going to the gym today?”

“Hmmm?” I said, glancing up at my roommate. “No, I don’t think I feel up to it today, Cassie. You go without me.”

“All right then, just checking to be sure,” she said with a smile. Then, she frowned a little, asking, “What are you going to do about…what did you call him before?”

“Tor’ac. It’s his name.” He confirmed my statement by turning his head to look at the two of us before returning to his vigil by the window.

“Well, anyways, what are you planning to do with him? Is he going to stay with us for long?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Cassie. It could be a few days or it could be longer.” I inhaled and released my breath. “We’ll just have to wait.”

“You’d just better lay some ground rules for him when you get around to talking. I don’t want him sneaking up on any of us while we’re in the bathroom like he tried to do today.”

Giggling, I bit my lower lip as Cassie glared at me. “Sorry, Cassie, it’s just a little funny.”

“Yeah, laugh it up until he walks in on you in the shower. Then, we’ll see who’s laughing,” she said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Anyway, I have to get to the gym before class. I’ll see you sometime this evening, k?”

“Okay, be careful and good luck with class,” I called as she walked out the front door.
After I rinsed my bowl and put it in the dishwasher, I walked into my room and partially shut the door. I was just lifting my shirt over my stomach when I saw Tor’ac push the door open and come into the room after me. Pulling my shirt down fast, I cried, “Ack! Tor’ac! What are you doing?!” He tilted his head and gave me an odd look, and I stomped over to him. Facing the door, I looked at Tor’ac to be sure he was paying attention, and I tapped my knuckle on the door.

“That’s what we do before going into another room, especially one of the bedrooms, Tor’ac,” I told him, firmly. “Knock, and then if you receive an answer, enter. Do you understand?”

Tor’ac glanced from me to the door, then raised a huge hand and soundly knocked twice on the wood. The sound made me jump, but I couldn’t fault him if he was trying to understand. Sighing, I nodded my head and then promptly showed him the door. “Now, please go outside…I mean the living room! I need to get dressed for the day. I’ve got class this afternoon, and I’d like to change clothes without giving a show.”

Although he still looked confused, Tor’ac left my bedroom, and I closed the door all the way. Inhaling, I couldn’t believe he actually followed me inside my room. I suppose he was just checking on me…or maybe he felt he should stay with at least one of us and with Leah at her meeting and Cassie on her way to the gym, I was it. Placing a hand on my head, I ran my fingers through my long hair before heading to my dresser.

It didn’t take too long for me to get dressed, but I wanted to have a little time to fix my long hair. I brushed it thoroughly and then looked in the mirror to see what I wanted to do. Twisting it up, I used a large clip to hold it in place and turned my head to the side to look at it. Then, I heard a short growl before a crying sound came from the living room which automatically worried me.

Opening my door, I halted in my tracks to find Tor’ac holding the futon/sofa up, and he was looking down at the small, black form that was Leah’s cat, Katerina or ‘Kat’ for short. She was huddled into a small ball and meowed again as Tor’ac bent down and reached for her. I yelled, “TOR’AC, NO!” I think the force of my voice startled him a little as he turned his head to look at me, giving me an odd look of confusion.

Striding over to where he held the sofa up with one hand, I bent down and lifted Kat into my arms, sheltering her from him. She made a small cry, but she didn’t try to escape from me. “Tor’ac, this is Leah’s cat, our PET. She is NOT food,” I told him firmly, pursing my lips.

“Peht?” he tried to repeat, tilting his head to the side. Sighing, I couldn’t help but smile when he did that, and I knew I couldn’t stay mad or upset. I nodded, then pointed to the futon he held by one hand, saying, “Now, put the sofa down.” Tor’ac looked at the piece of furniture which he held up so effortlessly and lowered it to the carpet.

Smiling a little, I began petting Kat, scratching just behind her ears where she really loved to be scratched. She closed her green eyes and purred while rubbing her head against my hand. This apparently attracted Tor’ac’s attention as he stepped closer to me and examined the feline in my arms. He clicked softly at me, I think trying to ask what was going on. And then, he did something I’d never heard before. A soft purr came from his chest, and I stepped back not sure what to make of that sound.

Tor’ac tilted his head to the side and stopped purring as he looked at me. It was just…weird, hearing a sound like that from him. Swallowing, I returned to where I stood before and softly brushed my hand from Kat’s head to her backside. “She likes that, but only when you’re gentle,” I told the Yautja. Slowly, he reached out a clawed hand and touched the ball of fur in my arms. Kat didn’t even bother to look up as she continued purring even louder.

I looked at Tor’ac as he petted Kat, and he seemed curious about how the little animal gently rumbled against his hand. It was almost funny how he inspected Kat while still petting her, and she just loved the attention.

Hearing the door being unlocked, I turned to see Leah coming into the apartment, and Kat leapt out of my arms. Tor’ac clicked at me before walking back to the window blinds. I gazed at him for a moment before coming to a decision inside, and I turned to Leah, asking, “How did your meeting go?”

“Rather well. My advisor says I should be ready to enter the working world when I graduate in another year,” Leah answered, throwing a glance at Tor’ac by the window. “How has today been so far? Uneventful, I hope.”

“Beyond Tor’ac going into the bathroom at the same time as Cassie and then…being curious about Kat, nothing has really happened,” I told her. “But…he seems so depressed…either that or anxious, I can’t really tell. He wants to go outside, but his invisibility device won’t work.”

Leah glanced at the discarded gauntlet on the table, saying, “Well, maybe he’ll be able to work on it when he’s ready. So, Tor’ac met Kat…how did that go?”

Biting my lower lip, I didn’t want to tell Leah that I thought he was going to eat her cat. Then again, he didn’t look like he was going to attack Kat…he might have just been curious. I looked at Leah as she waited for me to answer, and I said, “Well, she was hiding under the sofa, and Tor’ac…sort of lifted the sofa to see her.”

Blinking, Leah’s eyes traveled to Tor’ac and then the sofa before coming back to me. She started laughing, saying, “I-it…must have…b-been a sight to see, Mya. I really wish I could have seen the look on Kat’s face, and yours, when he lifted the sofa.”

“Well…it was pretty funny,” I chuckled lightly, remembering the sight. “But getting to a serious matter, Leah…”

“What is it?”

“Could you keep an eye on Tor’ac while I’m in class this afternoon? Just make sure he stays in the apartment?”

“Sure, but he doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere, anyway.”

“I know, but humor me, just the same.”

“Of course.”

[Tor’ac’s POV]

Oomans were such a strange type of prey. If you were not hunting them, then they were hunting you…or attempting to hunt you. I should have been more careful, but I was caught off-guard by a group of males the previous night cycle. They managed to wound my left leg and arm, but I escaped with a fairly good lead on them. Then, when I crashed into a building, a female ooman inside chose to help me…she even went so far as to offer me shelter in her home. I couldn’t understand her purpose before, but she made it clear that she wasn’t a threat to me. She only wanted to help.

Looking at her speaking with the shorter female, I wondered just what she was thinking when she offered me, a Yautja, shelter. We hunt them as prey, yet she willingly gave me aid. Shaking my head, I returned my eyes to the outside where I knew I needed to go. But with the cloaking mechanism on my gauntlet damaged, there was no way I could go now. Not to mention my wounds still needed time to heal.

Hearing the two of them laughing, I glanced at the ooman females. The shorter one had cropped, brown hair and blue-shaded eyes. She gave off the air of one who didn’t really take life too seriously, and her scent reflected it. Too airy. Then, there was the female who had helped me. She had hair the color of most Yautja eyes, deep amber, and her hips were set a little wider than her two companions. Perfect for bearing children. Then, there were her eyes…her eyes. The previous night, they were almost green, but they were more of a golden color this day. And she had enough honor to give me her name. Meeya. The other two I knew as ‘Leeyah’ and ‘Kahsee’ through her speaking to them.

Meeya…there was something odd about her scent…it held such strength, yet fear hid within her. Her presence both soothed and riled me. One moment she was helping me, and the next she raged at me about their ‘peht’. I wasn’t going to eat it; I’d just smelled something different in the dwelling.

Sighing, the peht’s purring had reminded me of being on the clan ship, and I wondered when I’d be able to join my comrades again. My task on the blue planet hadn’t been completed yet, and as I saw it, there was no way it would be finished soon. I heard my stomach growl at the thought of having real food once again, and I cursed at myself for not eating in the past few days.

Then, I noticed Meeya approach me, a look of concern on her face. Why should she be worried about me? She made a motion to my stomach and asked me something; I believe she thought I was hungry. Grunting, I nodded to her, thinking, ‘Of course, I’m hungry. My stomach wouldn’t have made such a noise if I wasn’t.’

Looking at Meeya again, I saw her smile a little with those ooman lips. It seemed like such an odd thing to see, but I couldn’t find fault with her since oomans didn’t have mandibles. She walked into one of the other areas I hadn’t really bothered inspecting, and I watched her bring out a small weapon. No, it was a cutting utensil for food. I tilted my head to the side, a little curious about what she was doing.

After she finished, Meeya brought over a container with slices of what looked like a fruit of some sort. I glanced at the food she held out to me, and sighing, I bent down to smell it. My eyes widened a little as such a sweet scent came from the food, and I reached into the container and grasped a slice. Opening my mandibles, I slid it into my mouth and chewed. It was as sweet as it smelled and crispy, though not as much as fruit from the Yautja home world. Because of our powerful inner jaw muscles, our fruit tended to be harder.

I noticed Meeya smiling at me again as I took more fruit from the container to eat. She handed me the container and said something to me, but all I understood was “Tor’ac…stay…Leeyah…watch.” Blinking at her, I watched Meeya walk into her chamber before coming out and waving to both Leeyah and me. Then, she left the dwelling, closing the door. Ooman females were so…odd.


TBC

Author’s Note: I hope all of you enjoyed reading this chapter, though it did turn out shorter than the first chapter. I wanted to have some of Tor’ac’s point of view added into the story, and we’ll be hearing more from his side as well as Mya’s. Comments are welcome as long as they are constructive. ^_^