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

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

A/N: Wow! Thank you all for so many kind and encouraging reviews. ^_^ Please enjoy the next part of Mya and Tor'ac's story.

Chapter 3

My time in class was spent making a list of things to buy at the grocery store, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on at home. There was no way I could really focus on the lecture, not with all the recent events that had transpired. Twisting my mouth to the side, I actually started wondering, ‘What in the hell does a Yautja do when he’s ‘at rest’?’ I just hoped Tor’ac wasn’t getting too restless and giving Leah much trouble. No, I didn’t think he would do that…at least not intentionally.

On my way from class to the bus area, Mrs. Henderson came up to me saying that she was so happy that I wasn’t hurt. I schooled my features into one of slight surprise as I asked her why she’d think that, and she went on to tell me about the accident in the library. She looked a little upset by the occurrence, but she told me she was glad the damage was on the third floor. They could still keep the library open while the repair constructions were done.

Mrs. Henderson and I said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I smiled at her perseverance to keep the library open to the students even with all the repairs. She was an amazing lady and a great librarian, and it made my stomach clench a little to lie to her. Well, technically, I hadn’t exactly lied; I just asked why she’d thought I was hurt. Still, keeping the information to myself about Tor’ac and all that happened would probably be best.

Heading towards the bus, I felt a twitch in my back almost as though something, or rather someone, was following me. I stopped next to a bench and sat down, rolling my neck in a stretch while also casually scanning the area behind me. ‘Just a crowd of students, Mya. Why are you being so jumpy?’ I thought. ‘Maybe because of what happened last night?’ Shaking my head, I got up and continued towards the bus stop.

The bus heading to my apartment complex was getting ready to depart, but as I waved to the driver, she kept the doors open long enough for me to jump inside. Taking a seat, the bus pulled away from the curb and headed off-campus. There were several stops before my complex, and I watched several people get off the bus.

Next stop was the grocery store within half a mile of my complex, and I pulled on the signal cord. The bus hissed to a stop, and I waved to the driver as I stepped onto the sidewalk. Walking into the store, I grabbed a cart and prepared for some serious maneuvering.

The store was insanely packed with people, and it was barely after six o’clock. Where the hell did all these people come from? ‘Don’t they have jobs or kids in school?’ I asked myself, twisting my mouth to the side. ‘Oh, well, gotta move fast then.’

Shopping actually went by faster when I was alone since I only needed what was on my list instead of what might be on Leah or Cassie’s list. I laughed at the last time Cassie and I were in the store when she insisted we go down every row just to be sure we didn’t need anything. She ended up getting twice the amount of groceries that were on her list. My roommates were strange and they could say the same thing about me. But we were all still good friends…despite certain happenings.

Shaking my head, I told myself to stop thinking about the past and finish getting the groceries.

With two large paper bags full of food, I left the store and walked down the sidewalk towards the bus stop. Looking at the bus shelter, I shrugged before taking a deviation on the path to the left and heading in the direction of my complex. It was a straight path through the wooded area behind the grocery store and up a hill before striding down towards the back parking lot.

Walking upstairs to my apartment, I had to set one bag on the cement floor so I could fish my keys out of my pocket. I unlocked the door and was surprised when it was pulled open. Leah had the biggest smile on her face as she held the door for me. Picking up my other bag, I gave her a confused look, and she whispered,

“Go look in the living room, but be quiet.”

Raising an eyebrow, I wondered just what on Earth had happened while I was at class, but I strode into the kitchen. After I set the bags down, I scanned the living room and blinked before smiling at what I saw. Tor’ac was sitting on the floor with his huge arms crossed in front of his barrel chest. Seated in his lap was Kat, curled up in a little ball of black fur.

“They’ve been like that for the past twenty minutes,” Leah whispered as she came up beside me. “He just chose to sit, and she decided he’d make a nice piece of furniture apparently.”

“Leah!” I hissed, frowning at her. “He’s not furniture!”

“We know that, but Kat doesn’t.”

Turning back to look at the sight, I giggled softly. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true. So what did you do while I was gone?”

“Well, I was in my room practically the whole time,” she told me. “I only came out to check on him a few times, and the first two times, he was still standing at the window just like when you left. Then, I came out and saw this. It was just too cute! At least, my cat is too cute.”

Shaking my head, I walked back into the kitchen and began putting the groceries away. I put four of the large red apples into the fruit bowl and placed the remaining eight in the fruit bin inside the refrigerator. Tor’ac seemed to like apples, so I thought it was a good idea to buy them in bulk especially since they were on sale.

I had also purchased two raw steaks, thinking that Tor’ac might want some meat. He was a “predator” after all, so he would most likely eat meat. Setting one on the counter, I put the other package inside the refrigerator and turned back to see Tor’ac rising from the floor, much to Kat’s protest. He was watching me, and I merely smiled at him before putting away the rest of my groceries. I heard him approach the kitchen, and he stopped just outside of the entryway.

Glancing at him, Tor’ac was looking at the red meat on the counter, and he clicked softly. Then, looking at me, he motioned towards the meat with his hand and then pointed to himself. I thought he was asking if it was for him, and as soon as I nodded, he grasped the package in his huge hand. Using a claw, he prodded against the plastic wrapping before tearing a hole large enough to pull out the steak.

Swallowing slightly, I turned away as I heard him eating the meat raw, as I thought he would though it was still unsettling to hear. He seemed to gulp it down in no time from what I heard, and I soon felt something tap my shoulder. Facing him, Tor’ac placed a fist against his chest and nodded his head. I blinked at this display, and I assumed he was thanking me, so I smiled and bowed my head back to him. At least I found something else he liked to eat. Although, with the way he devoured that steak and looking at how big he was, I either had to find a cheaper grocery store or another means to provide meat for someone Tor’ac’s size.

[Tor’ac’s POV]

‘Why did she help me?’ I had asked myself this question over and over while Meeya was out of the dwelling. The possible reasons for her giving me aid just confused me, and I finally had to dismiss this train of thought since it was unproductive.

After Meeya returned, she had brought food for me, which I gladly accepted. It was part of a flank from one of their large land creatures; I had consumed some before on previous hunts. It wasn’t as spicy or flavored like the hrak’ken meat I loved on the clan ship, but it was tender and it was meat. Once I finished, I made sure she was looking at me as I placed my fist against my chest and nodded to her. Apparently, Meeya understood that I was grateful for the meat, and she bowed her head to me.

Both she and I stood there for a moment before she turned away and opened the door to what I gathered was their food compartment. Tilting my head, I watched Meeya a little longer and then looked in the adjoined room at my gauntlet on their table. Sighing, I knew the invisibility cloak wasn’t going to repair automatically, and so I walked over to pick it up. I sat down, removing the tool kit from my belt, and began working with the small device inside the gauntlet.

After trying several different tricks that failed to fix the cloak, I set the gauntlet down before me and crossed my arms. I inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm my frustrated nerves, clicking my mandibles to relieve some tension. To distract myself, I glanced outside their glass panes and noticed that it was already past the early night cycle. Looking around the dwelling, I noticed that none of the oomans were in sight. Scenting the dwelling, I knew Meeya was in her chamber while Leeyah was in the bathing chamber adjoined to her chamber. The third ooman, Kahsee, was not inside the dwelling.

I heard Meeya moving outside of her chamber before I saw her approach where I sat, and I looked up at her. She pointed at me and then pointed at her chest before motioning to the glass panes. Tilting my head, I heard her also say, “You…me…outside.”

Nodding to her, I stood up and unhooked my mask from my belt, placing it over my face. I began breathing, almost savoring the air of my home world, which was much less polluted than what the oomans called “air”. Yautja could breathe on the backwater planet for a short period of time, if one could call it “breathing”, before having to use one’s mask.

Then, I watched Meeya open the door leading to the area outside where she and I stood the previous night cycle. She pointed to herself again and motioned with her hand down to a path below the building. I stared at her through my mask’s eyes, tilting my head a little confused by her motion. Meeya walked back inside and made her way to the entrance to her home.

When I tried to go with her, Meeya turned to look at me and shook her head, pointing once more to the other door. I turned to look in that direction, and I heard her depart and close the entrance. Moving back outside, I looked over the railing and saw Meeya’s form come into view. She looked up and waved to me, pointing up above the dwelling. Tilting my head up, I saw the top of the dwelling was one level above this level.

Moving to the side, I dug my claws inside the wall and slowly climbed to the top of the large building. Apparently, Meeya lived in a “shared dwelling”, one with many different smaller dwellings inside each building. I had seen plenty of these in various parts of the planet, and it seemed as though most oomans lived in this fashion. It almost mirrored the living arrangements on the clan ships, but our individual chambers were much larger and had technology that surpassed theirs.

Focusing once more on Meeya, I saw her figure moving past a second building next to hers, and I jumped across to the top of that building. I trailed her as she continued into an area with a lot of trees. Keeping her position on my scanners, I leaped from the second building into one of the larger trees near her previous location, continuing to follow her.

It began to feel as though I was hunting her, and though it thrilled my hunter’s blood, I knew hunting one who had helped me was dishonorable. Even then, I would not hunt females- I saw no honor or need in killing them. The only times when they seemed worth the hunt was when they were defending their young, but to kill a female guarding young was to label oneself a bad blood. It was the way the Arbitrators taught, so it was law to all Yautja of our clan.

As Meeya walked further through the trees, I saw a large open section just beyond the wooded area. She left the trees behind and strode to the open area where I noticed a small barrier. Jumping to the ground, I knew I had seen similar barriers, small wooden rods pressed into the ground with sharp-tipped wires connecting the rods. Meeya ducked under part of the barrier, and she waited just inside the enclosed area. Bending down, I hurdled over the barrier and landed a few feet from where she stood.

When she noticed I was close, Meeya moved away from the wire barrier and into a more open space. My eyes were trained on her back, and questions I’d been asking myself earlier in the day cycle began running through my mind. ‘Why did she help me?’ ‘Does she have an honorable motive?’ ‘Is this her true nature, or is she more like those males who attacked me?’ ‘She is ooman. Can I really trust her… as I would another Yautja?’ This last question seemed to unsettle me the most, and I growled lowly to myself.

I watched her figure stop just ahead of me, and as I clicked my mandibles softly, I resolved to test her. If she could pass this test, I would be able to place full trust in her not to turn on me. If not…then I would know her true nature and deal with her accordingly.

[Mya’s POV]

I had tried to work on my homework for class, but I just couldn’t focus on it knowing that Tor’ac had been stuck inside the apartment all day. It just didn’t seem fair, and I felt I had waited long enough for it to get dark outside. So I went to him and said that he and I were going outside, and I brought him to the pasture just beyond the woods to the right of the complex.

Now, I was standing in the middle of an open field with a huge Yautja near me, and all I could do was stare into the clear night sky. Thousands of stars lit up the darkness, and I wondered just how many of them Tor’ac and his people had seen. Glancing at him, I knew it was ridiculous to even think of asking, so I returned to the matter at hand.

Facing Tor’ac, I waved my hands in a small ‘shoo-ing’ motion to get him to move around in the open space. He seemed utterly confused as he tilted his head and clicked at me. I bit my lower lip as I thought of how to tell him it was okay to just stretch. Grasping my hands together, I stretched them into the air above my head and allowed my back muscles to loosen. I looked at Tor’ac again, and he still appeared puzzled, if not thinking what an idiot I must look like.

With a sigh, I thought of something else and ran a short distance from where he stood before jogging in a small circle around him. Again, I knew I must have looked rather odd trying to coax a Yautja into exercising, but Tor’ac surprised me as he began running just behind me. He easily caught up with me, and I moved back to the inside of the circle where he stood before.

I noticed he stopped some distance from me, and he started moving both his left arm and left leg, testing each limb. Although it was hard to see in the dark, I tried to look over his body to make sure there was no fluorescent green blood seeping from under his bandages. He seemed fine, so I thought, ‘I’ll check and re-bandage the wounds once we get back to the apartment.’

Then, I saw Tor’ac standing perfectly still with his fists pressed together in front of his chest. Frowning, I thought his stance looked a little familiar, but I shrugged it off, continuing to observe him. He began moving in a slow, steady pace, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he leaned to the right. His hands were still clenched into fists, and he swung one slowly up and over his head. It was a rather…interesting sight to see, and it seemed so familiar to me.

Blinking, my eyes widened as I watched Tor’ac open his hands and place them against his right hip in a sort of ‘L’ shape. Using his lower body to propel his next movements, he curved his arms forward with the left hand held in front while the right guarded his midsection. At the same time, he placed all his weight on his right leg with only the ball of his left foot touching the ground.

‘Oh, my God…it’s form number six,’ I thought, a small gasp escaping my lips. I couldn’t believe my eyes. This alien being was performing Yaset from the Soo Bahk Do style of martial arts. I began to wonder how long they had been coming to Earth and just what they had taught us. Or perhaps it was easier to ask what they had not taught us?

Before the unwanted images of past events could come to my mind, I shook my head hard and swallowed, trying to calm myself. After seven years, I should be able to deal with the past, not dwell on it. So why did watching Tor’ac execute a form from my style of martial art cause my insides to churn?

My mind was so preoccupied with trying to calm my body that I didn’t realize Tor’ac had turned and was charging straight for me. He brought back his right hand, clenched into a fist, as his wrist blades extended out and aimed for my throat. Blinking, I wondered just what had happened as the blades stopped just in front of my neck. Why had he turned on me? But more importantly, why did he stop short in the attack?

Looking from the blades aimed at my neck to the cold eyes of his mask, I gave him a puzzled and what I hoped was a hurt look. This action served to remind me that he was a Yautja, a hunter, and even if I did give him aid that didn’t change who he was. But he had trusted me before, so why…why do this now? Then, it hit me. Tor’ac might be testing to see how far I would trust him…to possibly measure how much he should trust me. Inhaling slowly, I forced my body to relax more as I watched him and waited.

With another swift movement I almost didn’t see, Tor’ac brought his arm back to the side and swiped his wrist blades very close to my chest. I could have sworn I felt the tips of the blades barely hook the cloth before pulling free. Swallowing, I knew he had the power and strength to kill me in countless ways if he wished. But to hold back as he did, that showed immense control, and I had to show that same amount of control by not flinching.

Tor’ac nodded as he moved his wrist once more, retracting the blades to his gauntlet. I was unsure if the test was finished, so I remained where I stood, still watching him. He turned his back to me only to spin around, and he thrust his hand, palm flat with his thumb spread, towards my neck. The breath caught inside my throat as I felt his hand stop once more, only he was close enough for me to feel his hand. For one hand to hold such strength was frightening, yet amazing. I slowly inhaled through my mouth, and I could swear he could have caressed the air flowing through my throat if he wanted.

Our eyes locked as I stared into the cold, glass eye sockets of his silver mask, and I waited once more. I focused on the feel of his hand on my neck to take my mind off the surrounding tension. His skin was definitely different with an almost reptilian feel, but it wasn’t scaly. He was very warm especially in the chilly air around us.

Then, I felt his hand relax as he pulled back, two claws grazing my skin unintentionally. Tor’ac stood directly in front of me and bowed his head while bringing his fist to his chest. He reached out his hand and gripped my shoulder, shaking it gently for a Yautja. It was gentle because I was able to keep my balance and not fall onto the grass. From his actions, I believed that I had passed the test…and was very glad of it. I just hoped I wouldn’t do anything to break Tor’ac’s trust.

[Tor’ac’s POV]

When I attacked her the first time, I noticed Meeya’s heart was already racing even before I moved towards her. Usually, these tests were started at a time when the Yautja being tested wasn’t focused, in order to learn their true reaction. Something had startled her and caused a distraction so I could begin testing her.

In truth, I was surprised to see Meeya stand her ground rather than run from me. I had intimidated many oomans in past hunts, and none had ever stood as she did. Her stance wasn’t confident, and the look in her eyes showed shock and perhaps some amount of sadness. I had only seen such a look within the eyes of a female Yautja that I had recently refused as a mate. That look on this ooman female almost made me unable to continue with her test, but I would finish what I had started. I needed to know where her honor stood.

Then, something seemed to come alive within Meeya’s eyes as I stared at her, and her heart began to calm. I clicked my mandibles beneath my mask as my own blood rushed through my veins. Moving on to the next attack, I noticed her left arm twitch almost in an attempt to block my strike. Did she know some form of defense? Still, it wouldn’t have been in her favor had she chosen to defend herself during the test.

I had to admit I was impressed by Meeya’s control of her will as she allowed me to come within mere seconds of possibly killing her. There was one final part of the test, and I retracted my wrist blades to allow her time to quiet her blood. Then, I finished with a throat strike, pulling back just enough to where I wouldn’t hurt her. I knew if I did not have the control and experience I did in combat, I could have easily taken off her head.

As I held her by the throat, I watched her eyes as she stared into my mask. I felt her pulse jump several times against my hand, but Meeya did not show any other signs of weakness. Never had any female, Yautja or ooman, impressed me as she did.

Releasing her neck, I brought a fist to my chest and bowed to her in respect. Then, I grasped Meeya’s shoulder and shook it as I would another Yautja after a test or spar. She remained in front of me before looking into my mask again. I began to think perhaps my test had unsettled her, but then Meeya reached up and placed her hand against my right shoulder and shook it as her ooman strength would allow. Such interesting, and sometimes fickle, beings, but I knew at least one had the honor closely related to that of a Yautja.


TBC

Author’s Note: I know it took awhile to write, but I did finish it. I just hope all of my readers enjoyed chapter 3, and thank you for reading. This was a rather serious chapter, and I will say the story will have a more serious tone from here on out. As always, comments are welcome just as long as they’re constructive. ^_^