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. They belong to Fox.

Chapter 4


Over the next week, I noticed something different about our apartment guest. At first, it was too small to really notice as my roommates and I continued in our daily lives, which now included Tor’ac. I would leave my room each morning and find Tor’ac sitting or even kneeling on the living room floor, his makeshift bed of spare blankets and sheets folded over. When I came home from class or an errand, the first thing I saw was Tor’ac standing or sitting in the living room, staring at me when I entered my home. He nodded to me each time while still watching me as I moved about the apartment.

It was a little strange and sometimes a little uncomfortable as I felt like I was being scrutinized by him, but I got used to it. I even felt a little flattered after I asked Leah and Cassie if Tor’ac “greeted” them when they came home and they said he didn’t. He only felt the need to greet me, to watch me. Well, I was the one who had helped him, and I was the one who he had tested. I didn’t think the others even really gave him their names formally.

“Why should I introduce myself to him?” Cassie asked, rolling her eyes when I discussed my thoughts on the matter. “It’s not like he’d remember or even care.”

“You’d be surprised, Cassie,” I told her, but she just shook her head and went into her bedroom.

When I talked with Leah about it, she just shrugged, and I had the feeling that she viewed Tor’ac almost as another pet. She would sometimes watch Kat approach the large Yautja sitting in our living room and settle into his lap. At least she could be in the same room as him for a long time unlike Cassie, but there was nothing I could do about that. I couldn’t force either of my roommates to accept Tor’ac as a guest and just counted myself lucky that neither protested the idea of sheltering him.

What was strange about Tor’ac’s behavior was that whenever I was in the living room, talking with Leah or Cassie, he would glance at us every so often. I wanted to say it was almost like he was listening to our different conversations…and maybe he was. I couldn’t say for sure what was going on, but whenever he and I were alone in the living room, Tor’ac would sometimes shift closer to where I sat or at least turn to face me as though giving me his complete attention. Why he did that, I had no clue, but I grew accustomed to this behavior, much like other differences since he became part of my life.

There had been several…interesting incidents since Tor’ac came into our home. Interesting was the most delicate word I could use since I was puzzled as to how an entire tube of toothpaste would effect a Yautja’s body internally. I had been cleaning my bathroom, scrubbing at the last remainder of Tor’ac’s blood after the most recent bandage change. His wounds were almost completely healed, which meant that would most likely be the last bandaging he’d need.

Tor’ac had entered the bathroom, I guess curious about what I was doing hunched over the tub. Then, as I wiped some sweat from my forehead onto my sleeve, I saw him pick up my toothpaste tube and sniff it. I didn’t really think anything of it and went back to cleaning the tub. It wasn’t until I heard the cap bounce on the counter that I looked up to see Tor’ac squeezing the blue and white paste directly into his mouth.

Dropping the sponge, I jumped up and told him to put the tube down, grasping it when he didn’t do what I asked. Tor’ac turned to look at me, and it seemed like he was confused by my reaction. Inhaling, I pulled the tube out of his hand, trying to explain the concept of possible poisoning from consuming, well, as much as he did. The Yautja just blinked at me, tilting his head to the side in that quizzical manner that usually made me smile, and I shook my head. Apparently, my concern was unnecessary as there was no change in Tor’ac after the incident, so I didn’t continue worrying. I just needed a new tube of toothpaste.

Another incident involved introducing Tor’ac to the television, or rather preventing him from destroying our TV. Leah and I were watching a documentary on lions in the Serengeti when Tor’ac came out of the bathroom. I looked at him and smiled before returning my attention to the television. Then, Tor’ac did something he’d never done before. Normally, he chose to sit down next to one of the bookshelves with his back to the TV, but this time he came and stood beside where I sat on the couch.

What happened after that, I didn’t think Leah and I would ever forget. One of the lions being filmed charged the cameraman, and instantly, Tor’ac blocked my view. I was about to ask what the hell he was doing but stopped when I saw his wrist blades were extended. Calling his name, I grabbed his arm, and he turned to face me with a confused and annoyed look.

Standing up, I walked across the room, still holding his arm, and I released him to have a free hand to touch the TV screen. I placed my hand against the glass and looked back at Tor’ac, telling him it was ok, and it wasn’t real. He looked puzzled and uncertain as his brow furrowed, and I beckoned him to touch it, too. With a sigh, the Yautja raised a huge hand and slowly touched the glass screen with two fingers. Then, he looked at me with slightly widened eyes as he nodded and trilled at me in understanding. I was relieved that the TV was spared and amused with the look of fascination Tor’ac now gave the big box with a viewing screen.

~~~

A couple of days after rescuing the television, Leah, Cassie and I sat on the couch trying to figure out what to watch, and I had the remote. Cassie started tickling me, saying she wanted the remote, but I refused to let it go. I squirmed around trying to tickle her back when Leah started tickling me, too.

Both of them made me shriek in protest, which somehow caught Tor’ac’s attention because he suddenly appeared next to the couch, snarling as he grasped my arm and pulled me out from under them. Pushing me behind him, he spread his massive arms in what I saw as a challenging manner and growled fiercely at my roommates. As I tried to see around the huge Yautja, I saw Cassie staring with wide, frightened eyes while Leah just looked confused.

“Tor’ac! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I shouted, slapping on his arm to get his attention. When he turned to me, Tor’ac looked rather pissed as he softly growled at me, but I didn’t back down from his glare and answered with one of my own. Crossing my arms across my chest, I pursed my lips still glowering up at the huge Yautja. “You can’t just go attacking Leah and Cassie, Tor’ac! Do you know that if they didn’t allow you to stay here, there’d be nothing I could do? You need to think before doing something like this!”

Tor’ac’s green eyes suddenly widened before blinking as he glanced at the others sitting on the couch. Well, Leah was sitting; Cassie was sort of inching away from where he stood. Then, he looked at me once more before exhaling in a huff and going out onto the balcony. Usually, this was his signal that he wanted to go out to the pasture as we’d done the past nights, but I was in no mood to go tonight. Huffing to myself, I stalked into my room and closed the door to all of them, my roommates and Tor’ac, for the night.


[Tor’ac’s POV]

What the pauk had I done? I wondered what had just happened inside the dwelling when Meeya struck my arm before confronting me. It was frustrating and…odd to have a female, especially an ooman female, practically challenge my authority. But she seemed distressed about my actions, so I sat down outside, trying to calm my angered blood.

Thinking back over what had happened, I knew I had heard Meeya’s cry and thought she was in trouble. Though why she would need assistance in her own dwelling was beyond my understanding. When I had entered the room, I saw what seemed to be Leeyah and Kahsee attacking Meeya in an unfair fight. So I chose to intervene and help her. Somehow that intervention earned a challenge or…a scolding from the one I tried to aid?

Of course, after I thought more about the situation, it didn’t really appear that they were attempting to hurt Meeya. Still, I had not deserved the angered look she gave me; I had never seen that look in her eyes before. Perhaps she was getting restless or…? I couldn’t really think straight; the entire situation had sent my mind reeling and I didn’t want to think more on the matter.

Out of habit, I glanced down at the ground to see if Meeya was there, and to my relief, she wasn’t. I did not think going outside with her to train would have been a suitable choice in the situation. It was probably better for me to just stay outside now.

The past seven cycles had been…interesting and a little annoying. Meeya had squawked at me for eating something similar to one of the sweet pats on the clan ship. I had never seen the substance on the backwater planet before, but I think she called it tueth’paest. She said something about poisoning, but nothing seemed odd internally, so I didn’t think it was poison. Why would she even keep something poisonous around her dwelling?

Thinking about the actions of this ooman female made my head start to ache, and my mandibles clicked in frustration. I knew she was honorable and could be trusted, but beyond that, she was a mystery. Pushing aside thoughts involving Meeya, I gazed at the upper atmosphere, filled with many gas balls. My mind soon wandered once more onto my task, but I knew my cloaking device needed to be fixed before I could continue.

I heard footsteps approaching the door before it was even opened, and the scent was of Meeya. Of course, it had to be her since neither of the other females bothered approaching me. Though I was still annoyed with her challenge to my authority, I had to admit it was impressive…irritating, but impressive.

Meeya closed the door behind her and moved towards my location before kneeling down. There was a bowl in her hands, and from the scent, it was more of the sweet, crunchy fruit she called ah-pell. I felt the inside of my mouth growing moist, but I restrained myself from taking the fruit from her. She might be ready to make peace with me, but I was not.

“Tor’ac.” She leaned over, apparently trying to get me to look at her face. I knew my next action was worthy of young blood, but I still turned further away from her. This ooman female had hurt my pride, especially when I was attempting to aid her. Right now, I didn’t want to look at her.

“Okay…listen, Tor’ac, please,” she said as I heard her lean back. “I am sorry…I shouldn’t have hit you…you were only helping me…probably thought I was in trouble because I yelled…”

I understood most of her words. Over the past cycles, I had been learning more of their language while merely listening to Meeya converse with Leeyah and Kahsee. Listening and picking up what they said was simple enough; it was trying to form ooman words that was difficult.

“I know you…don’t want to hear or deal with this…but I’m sorry, Tor’ac. I’m so sorry.” Meeya’s eyes were on me; I could feel her gaze and her hand which reached out and softly touched mine. “I don’t blame you…being upset…but please, Tor’ac…I’m sorry.”

Her words and more importantly the sincerity behind them moved me, and I turned to face her. Meeya looked at me with such sad eyes, but there was something else, some other emotion beyond the sadness. I couldn’t place it, so I merely gazed at her face before saying, “Meeya…I accept.”


[Mya’s POV]

‘He said…my name.’ My eyes widened suddenly when I heard Tor’ac speak again. It was the same gruff, almost human, voice that told me ‘thank you’ over a week ago, yet it still shocked me. I set the bowl of apple slices down before I dropped it, and I stared at him, asking, “How much…can you understand?”

Tor’ac reached down and picked up the bowl, selecting one slice and placing part of it inside his mouth. He chewed and swallowed all in one motion before looking at me once more. “I can understand…more than I can speak.”

“Wow…but how did you…learn so much?” I leaned in closer, my curiosity peaked.

“Through many hunts…and listening to oomans…but mostly you, Meeya.”

“Me?” Blinking, I sat back on my legs again as I thought about all the times it seemed like Tor’ac was observing me while I talked with the others. He was actually listening and learning our words. “So…you can learn things quickly.”

He nodded. “We have to…to live and grow stronger. My race does not always…see importance in…a different language. But…it does have use.”

Staring at Tor’ac in awe from having an actual spoken conversation with him, I finally forced my eyes away from him. It was weird hearing my language from a being not of my planet, let alone my race, and I must have been caught up in the shock. What was even weirder was that it took my getting angry with Tor’ac and then apologizing in order for us to have a spoken conversation.

“Tor’ac…I know I’ve already said this, but again, I’m sorry.” I lowered my eyes to the stone floor of the balcony. “I think it might be…well, close to my time…”

“Your…‘time’?” When I looked up, he had tilted his head in the familiar questioning manner, and I smiled a little.

“Uh…let’s just call it…a female issue.” I glanced around, trying not to meet his eyes.

Tor’ac stared at me a moment longer before shrugging his wide shoulders and eating more of the apple slices. Sighing, I was relieved he didn’t want further information on that topic.

While in my room, I had been thinking about my earlier reaction, and it didn’t seem normal for me to become so upset. It was only logical to think that…well, it was nearly my time of the month. I felt horrible after yelling at Tor’ac when he was only trying to help me after hearing my shriek. It was so sweet of him, and I knew it was my fault that he was defending me against Leah and Cassie.

As I watched him eat the remaining apple slices, I was confused by his earlier action…and also how he seemed to watch me constantly in the apartment. It was strange how he was so much like a human, yet so different at the same time. I wondered if he could see the similarities, too, along with the differences.

~~~

Our first conversation was just the beginning as I felt more of an understanding between Tor’ac and me. In order to expand his knowledge of the human language, I started talking with him about various subjects. Sometimes, he was clear on everything we discussed, and others he would ask me to either repeat what I said or to speak at a slower pace.

It was almost like being a teacher, which I didn’t really feel I was qualified to be. However, Tor’ac was an attentive student, and that made it much easier on me. I found it almost funny when Tor’ac asked why I had so many ‘primitive information units’. Truthfully, I had no idea what he was talking about until he motioned towards my bookshelves.

“I really like to read, Tor’ac,” I said, retrieving one of my books on weapons of warfare, one I thought he might like. “When people find out some new object or information, they record as much about it as possible in order to preserve it for later generations.”

He scanned the five bookcases at the numerous books housed on the shelves, asking, “How many have you read?”

“All of them.”

Tor’ac turned to face me, an almost surprised look on his face as he glanced at the amount of books I owned before staring at me again. “You have read…” He made a motion with his hands towards the cases. “…this many b-ooks, yet they are still in your possession. Why keep them?”

“I don’t know…I guess just to keep around as references.” I shrugged and handed him the hardback book.

The Yautja looked over the cover before slowly opening it and carefully flipped through several pages, glancing up at me. “Ref-ur-en-ses?”

Nodding, I said, “It’s a way of having something to look back at just in case you’re unsure about the information you’re talking about. Do you understand?”

“Like…reassessing a situation?”

“Sort of, almost like a reaffirmation of what you already know.”

Tor’ac nodded, seeming to understand what I was talking about, and he continued flipping through more of the book. He tilted his head while looking at one of the pages, and I wondered what he was looking at. Then, he laughed, at least it sounded like that to me. “You are like our…” He made a small series of clicks that I didn’t understand.

“What was that last part?” I asked, shaking my head a little.

Sighing, he looked at the floor, apparently trying to think of how to say it again. “You are…one who learns and one who knows. In my language, the title has both meanings. Those who hold that title…have great importance.”

“Well, I am a student, but I wouldn’t say I’m a…‘knower’.”

Waving his hand slightly, Tor’ac seemed to brush what I said aside as he said, “There is much information here…too much for you to not be one who knows, Meeya.”

Blinking, I wondered why Tor’ac would compare me to one of his race with such an important title. His race was much more advanced than mine; I didn’t doubt that the amount of knowledge they had probably made ours look insignificant by comparison. It was flattering and puzzling at the same time, and I couldn’t stop my face from flushing. Turning away from him and back to the bookcase, I hoped he hadn’t noticed.


[Tor’ac’s POV]

The past cycles had gripped me in regards to conversing with Meeya. After learning that I could understand her, she had purposefully begun speaking with me on a regular basis, almost as if she would with Leeyah and Kahsee. She seemed so captivated by many different subjects, and her explanations to answer any of my questions were so…intense. There was almost a hunter’s fire within her eyes when she explained things to me. It was difficult not to become caught up in the way she talked.

Often, I found myself staring at her intently as she explained something new to me. How one ooman female could know so much was…fascinating. Somehow she knew how to hold one’s attention; of course, it was only when she was enthralled by the subject. Still, there were so many that held her in awe, it was hard to keep count. Meeya was certainly…an interesting female.

During the early night cycle of my twelfth full-cycle in Meeya’s dwelling, I observed her with a large b’uuk that had a dark, hard cover. It reminded me of a hard meat, but I had shoved aside thoughts of Kainde Amedha Chivas long ago, no longer my concern. The small non-prey, ‘Kat’, was lying in Meeya’s lap, and I approached the fu’tahn. Giving a light hiss, I gently pushed the non-prey off Meeya before sitting down on the floor beside her.

Meeya looked up from her b’uuk and glanced at the retreating non-prey before looking at me in slight surprise, saying, “She wasn’t upsetting me, Tor’ac.”

Grunting, I shrugged my shoulders and trilled lightly as I looked at the inside of the b’uuk. “What are you reading?”

“It’s a book about…uh…astronomy.” She seemed hesitant if not anxious about her answer as I sensed her heartbeat increase just slightly.

“Ast’rah-noh’mee?”

“Um…it’s the study of the upper atmosphere and the planets and stars.”

Nodding, I saw an image of the backwater planet as I normally saw it when approaching or leaving the planet. It was a ball of blue and white mixed together against the darkness of space, so different when compared to the Yautja home world. It had been at least two centuries since I had been back to the home world, and somehow I didn’t really miss it. Life on the clan ships was enough for me along with most Yautja.

I suddenly heard sniffling from Meeya, and looking at her, I saw water running from her eyes. She was staring at the image of her planet, her fingers lightly tracing the outer rim.

“It’s so beautiful…even if it’s just an image, Tor’ac,” she murmured, clearing her throat. “The planet doesn’t look like it’s overrun by civilization.”

To see her eyes run over for a mere image was intriguing but also caused my chest to ache, and I purred gently to try and soothe her. She looked at me and wiped her face with a pale hand, saying, “Tor’ac, I’m sorry. I just…sometimes I wish I could see Earth…just like this.”

Before I could even think about my words, I blurted, “What if you could?”


TBC

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for reading and reviewing my story, especially: shortest_warrior, Cara, aquamum (sorry for the misspelling, Aquamum!), Nahau, Cathy2u, Scarlett (thanks again for helping me with ideas for the first part of this chapter), Primal, Kraven Spider, Shyann, Firefly, chancelor22, Astaral Reaper, Kehlan, Lina, Ripe wickeD plUm, kami_no_yami, Mark, Kristi, scars lady 13, Nalani, The Yautja Bard, and kiki. Much love to all of you. *hugs*

I hope you all enjoyed chapter 4...despite the slight cliffy. ^_^