Notes: Well I'm back if you have read this story before well awesome, if you haven't you are more than welcome to read. So let's see I been out of for a while I moved about 4 time since I last updated RC the story I wanted to finish before I worked with this story but it's not going anywhere. I did a quick look over this chapter revamped it to the best of my abilities and well it's a bit different from before. I'm looking for a BETA to go over my story and possibly bounce off some ideas for this story. With that I say please preceded to reading.
Disclaimer: I do not own AVP characters, plain and simple. If I did this would be a movie not a story.
xXx
The Change:
Life Goes On
xXx
The pain was unbearable as I panted for breath, shutting my eyes; I desperately tried to fight off the oncoming tears that were threatening to fall. Taking a deep breath I looked up and could scarcely make out the shape of the humanoid hunter.
Blinking, my eyes attempted to clear my vision, and now I could see him clearly. His head tilted regarding me curiously, clicking in his primal language he trudged over and knelt by my side.
Once he was settled he pulled out a familiar metal case, I could only stare wearily as him as he opened it peeking at its contents; I immediately recognized it to be the same med kit he had used once before.
He reached into it and took out a small container along with an odd-looking utensil. He unscrewed the container to reveal that it held a blue substance. Staring, I noted that it seemed to have a strange texture; it looked gooey but thick like hair gel.
He paid me no notice to me as he scooped up the gel with the utensil then reached for me. I looked at the substance warily as he brought it down to my wound; placing it on my gash and as soon as it touched my skin I screamed. Yelling and wailing until, everything went black.
xXx
Gasping I slowly became aware of the cold, hard ground underneath me. My body was numb; I could not feel anything but part of me was still aware of the tingling sensation on my wounds.
Faintly hear the sound of purring as I opened my eyes. I felt my body being heaved up on to my feet only to come face to face with Scar once more. Looking at him through half lidded eyes, I slowly became aware that the soothing sound of purring was being released by him.
Licking my dry lips, I stared at him until he rumbled and patted my head. The force of his pats made my head duck down and so my eyes wandered down my body and I noticed that the rest of my wounds had been cover with the blue gel.
He must have applied it at some point while I had blacked out. Never been so grateful in my life for having the ability to lose consciousness until now; I was lucky to be knocked out by the first "treatment" of his medicine. Of course my luck had to come along with a sense of irony.
Glancing back at him, I saw that his body was cover with the blue stuff as well. I had seen him apply it before and I knew it was painful but I never could have imagined how much pain it could cause.
He studied me a moment before pulling out a small orb from the pouch he carried with him. He grabbed my hand and placed the orb there. Regarding it cautiously while holding it, the orb was strange and seemed to be the color of fire. That is not usually a good thing.
Scar lifted my face to look at him. Chirping, he placed his hand on my shoulder and then gestures of what to do with the orb. My eyes widen at the implication of his motions. When I shook my head negatively he growled and repeated the gesture repeatedly. I studied the orb for a moment and then Scar. Sighing, I knew that if I didn't do it myself, he would do it himself and that would open a whole other can of worms that was better left closed.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, in and out. I brought the orb to my mouth and tried to swallow it.
It was hard enough that the orb was bland and bitter, but the fact that it was bigger than a jawbreaker did not help. Peaking up at Scar, he purred in satisfaction and I grinned at him. I open my mouth ready to demand answers as to what was going on but my jaw quickly snap shut as I found myself on the stone floor once more.
My body was on fire!
All my senses were screaming out to me that I was burning, being scorched away. I felt like hour had gone by as I was consumed by an insatiable fire, barely aware of being picked up and being air born.
All that I could register was that I was against Scar's chest.
The sound of screeching snapped me out of my pain and I became aware of the black serpent hovering above us ready to attack. With shuddering breaths, I hauled myself up to my feet; my senses ablaze as I stood face to face with the serpent.
Scar was down for the count, being knocked out from taking the brunt of the attack, and I didn't have to wait long for the serpent to strike.
It launched at me and all I could do was wait for the impact, hoping to buy Scar some time to wake up. I closed my eyes anticipating the impact and within seconds it hit my abdomen…
xXx
Lex's eyes snap open.
Gasping she bolted up straight up. Looking around she slowly came to realize that she had trashed herself off the bed because of a nightmare. No, she corrected herself, not nightmare but memories. Memories of what had happened in Bouvetoya Isle. Memories that would haunt Lex's dreams till the day she died, never giving her rest.
She smiled grimly and soon broke into fits of laughter that were borderline hysteria as tears formed in her eyes. No one could ever know what had occurred down there; all the lives lost fighting; humans, predators, and aliens alike. No one would know of the brave Hunter that had saved her and stopped the alien Queen.
Knowing the Queen was dead always brought great satisfaction to Lex's restless mind. Sighing she managed to untangled herself from the sheets and dragged herself off the floor and onto the bed, bringing the covers with her. Those memories plagued her dreams ever since she got back from Bouvetoya, returning to her life, a shatter life at that.
Lying back down on the bed Lex clutched the sheets as she stared at the ceiling. Laying her head on the pillow weighed down by the memories of the past. Shaking her head Lex snuggled into her pillow, forcing everything to the back of her mind, she drifted off into another restless dream.
Xxx
Groaning Lex rubbed her forehead as she glared at the stack of papers lying on her desk. Wishing they would burst into flame from her heated glared. She just couldn't make sense of them! They were all just a jumble of letters and numbers meshed together, confounding her. Their only reason of existing was to make her life harder.
Then she wondered to herself what she was doing.
Organizing?
Checking Funds?
She honestly just couldn't remember nor could she get herself to focus on the task laid in front of her. Her mind was occupied with other things like Weyland Industries monitoring her, sending her to shrinks; though she highly doubt their validity as therapists.
Instead of asking how she felt or how she was coping with the traumatizing event, they kept asking about what had happened in Bouvetoya, never satisfied with Lex's answer. What sort of therapist would keep bring the past up when their reason was to make one forget about such an event.
Maybe she was just being paranoid…
But it was a normal thing to feel paranoid, especially after her near death experiences. Solider experience it once they come back from war, heck a lot of people do after they had a brush with death. So it was fine, almost normal for her to be paranoid. She just happen to be a bit more sensitive about her surroundings then most people, so what, it was still perfectly normal to feel paranoid and she was rumbling again.
Blinking, Lex attention was drawn back to reality by her coworker.
Leaning close to her face was a Hispanic woman in her early-thirties with long black hair waving a hand in front of her face. Her green eyes narrowed at Lex annoyed. "Lex? Earth to Lex, are you there? Do you copy?"
Coughing Lex tried to hide her amusement at the woman's antics. This only made her glared back at her with a scowl on her face, her hands place firmly on her hips. She knew that pose well, she had seen Rachael do that to, too many of the guys around the company. It was her trade mark pose; making many cowered in fear. Lex just sighed and slump her shoulders, lowering her head to face the papers that she still had on her desk.
'Damn, they didn't disappear…'
"Lex are you okay?" Rachael spoke up, her anger forgotten.
Lex tried to give her a reassuring smile but could only manage a grimace. Shaking her head, Rachael smiled and squeezed Lex's shoulder in comfort.
"Come on cariño, what's wrong? You can tell me anything."
"It's just that..." Her voice drifted off, unsure of her words. "…it's just been one of those weeks you know." Yet again Lex found herself unable to express the feelings that overwhelmed her daily. She doubted not even the great Houdini would understand her or be able to sort out her feelings so she could escape her thoughts.
Rachael didn't press on the subject and instead she rubbed Lex's back; much like a mother would do for her distraught child. "Don't worry too much about it Lex, everything happens for a reason, it's not just coincidence." She repeated the words she had heard so many times in the past.
Drawing back her hands she lean against the desk humming while she kept glancing back to the office door as if she was expecting someone to come in. Lex stared at her before shaking her head and smiling, already feeling better with her presence. Rachael always knew what to say to cheer her up and draw her attention away from problems even if they were only for a few brief moments.
Leaning back on her chair Lex spoke up, "So how are the girls?"
Grinning Rachael faced Lex, "Oh Lex! You won't believe what happened yesterday. I got a call from the principal, apparently my baby girl kicked a senior's ass."
Lex gapped at her confused "Oh wow! I'm sorry? Wait isn't she in Junior High?"
Chuckling she said, "Yes, damn private school, but it matter not that bufón deserved it! Always harassing her and what not, but now she has been suspended for a week maybe more." She tilted her head to the side, "How sad, mi bebé is getting punished cause of an idiota. Then the damn principle keeps talking about my parenting or lack of parenting as he likes to phrase it."
Lex grinned at her and shook her head. "Well if you would teach your children to talk instead of using their fists maybe that wouldn't happen."
She huffed at her words. "Aye no! Hell no, mi dulce niñas will learn to defend themselves and kick ass!"
"Dulce? Doesn't that mean candy?" Lex asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes it does but it also means sweet. I don't know why English has to be so complicated and have more than one word for something. A rata is either a rat or a mouse, makeup your damn minds! Which one is it?!"
Chuckling Lex lean forward on the desk and placed her elbows on the desk, head tilted she went back to the original subject before Rachel got all righteous on her. She was so kind to not point out Spanish also had many words to describe one thing. "Sorry to say this Rachael but there isn't anything sweet about beating up older guys."
Rachael stopped her ranting and turned her attention back to Lex. "Well I wouldn't be talking if I were you. Last time a guy touched your butt ended up on clutches."
Lex blushed hotly at her words. "Well not one of my best moments but he had it coming. I'm not going to allow someone to harness me without some payback."
Laughing at her, Rachael grinned, "Don't you have a meeting with el Doctór Co-co at one?"
"Yea, why do you ask?" Lex moved her attention back to the papers on her desk and started to organize them.
Leaning down towards Lex, Rachael whispered, "I hate to break this to you, but it's almost one right now."
Lex's eyes widen while peeking at the clock behind her and grimaced when she realized that it read 12:51. "Oh shit!"
Swiping the bag off the table, Lex gathered her things within seconds and was heading out the door. She paused for a moment remembering her visitor and turned back to look at Rachael before laughing nervously.
Rachael glared back at her. "I am not stopping you. Here take my keys and just hurry along now and then come back, it's only an hour." Tossing Lex the car keys Rachael waved her off as a dismissal and started rummaging through the desk.
"Thanks Rach!" Without another word she headed out with a fast pace, already envisioning her visit with the 'Co-co Doctor'.
xXx
Lex arrived around fifteen minutes later than the appointed time. The Doctor was so gracious not to point out her tardiness and just made her settle down to start asking his routine questions. How was her health, did the medicine cause any odd allergies or changes in her body, and other questions that worked as a cover for his real intentions. Her answers were all "good, fine, and normal". Once the act was done, he started asking question of what had occurred in Bouvetoya.
Lex tapped her foot impatiently. Doctor Young's head snapped to Lex's direction and away from the papers in his hand. Scrutinizing her, his blue eyes fell to her cheek. She glared at him then moved her head, positioning in an angel that wouldn't allow him to see the mark.
He scowled at the dismissal but immediately smiled forcefully at her. Lex smile right back at him, same forceful smile with narrowed eyes. Clearing his throat he spoke, "So Miss Woods, would you please explain me what occurred in the pyramid."
Rolling her eyes at his question Lex replied, "Again? Well Doc it's hard to say what happened with all the booby traps all over the place, malfunctioning equipment, and dangerous chemicals everywhere. I'm pretty sure an explosion was bound to happen. It was by some miracle I made it out of there alive. I did warn Mr. Wayland that we needed more time to train."
Clenching his jaw in anger he glared at Lex, unsatisfied with her answer. She wasn't surprised at his actions, this always happened when she came to the therapy sessions; she answered his questions and he never like her answers. He wasn't her first therapist and probably not the last but God she hope someone else took over.
The Weyland Company had assigned different doctors as a way to 'help' her deal with the trauma she had gone through at Bouvetoya. They were so concern of her wellbeing they just couldn't allow her to suffer. Bull! She wasn't an idiot they wanted something from her and they knew something Lex didn't. The questions were always about the same thing; the incident, her scar, and how she survived. While they were valid questions, the tone they use and how they could not, would not accept her explanations that any other person would have told her to get over it and move on.
Oh no they were looking for something and whatever it was they wanted, no they needed Lex to fill in the blanks. The question was what where the blanks they had. He opened his mouth to ask another question but she cut him off before he could say anything Lex stood.
"Sorry doc I have to cut you off here, I need to go it's almost 2:30 and work awaits me."
"But Miss Woods you arrived late-" He held up a hand, rising from his seat as if to stop her.
"Very true but work pays my bills, but you on the other hand don't. I come here willingly Doctor, don't push me I can stop coming if I want to. Don't forget that."
Narrowing his eyes at her response and thoroughly irritated the therapist removed his glasses to clean them. Looking back at her his face was void of emotion. "Of course then we will meet again next week then. Have a safe weekend." His words lingered with a tone of threat.
Glaring at him Lex slammed the door shut, enraged by him. Taking a deep breath she tried to relax herself, she didn't have time to deal with this, she needed to head back to work and finish her assignment or she was going to be stuck in the office all day tomorrow and tomorrow wasn't even a work day. Groaning at the thought Lex headed back to Rachael's van, today was just another part of a hectic week.
xXx
Rubbing her forehead against the edge of the desk Lex silently thanked Rachael. When she had returned she had found all the papers done and a few instructions on what to do with them. Lex looked down to her hands resting in her lap. Work wasn't over until four and there was still fifteen minutes to go.
'What to do now…'
Technically she had been sitting doing nothing for an hour now. Had Rachel not help her she would have been wrecking her head trying to finish. Blinking she stared at the palm of her hands dazed. The questions the doctors kept asking her were starting to have a bad influence on her mind; they were beginning to make her envision things, things that seem so abnormal to her small insignificant things. The sort of things she wouldn't have noticed if hadn't been for all those question they insisted upon asking her.
But she really couldn't deny it there was something going on with her body. Ever since she came back from Bouvetoya her senses had been going haywire. Her skin would out of nowhere begin to suddenly prickle with the sensation as if it was on fire. It was the same sensation that she felt in her dreams…
…or was that her memory? It was the orb wasn't it?
She shook her head at the thought. Maybe she was letting the doctor's insanity spread to her. After all, wasn't it called insanity if a person did the exact same thing over and over again expecting to get different results? Two year of questions and the answer were still the same, and would always be the same. Why couldn't they just leave her be and allow her to rebuild what was left of her life, was it just too much to ask.
All of Lex's attention was solely on her hands so caught in her thoughts she did not notice when Rachael stepped into the room. Rachael stood at the entrance of the office frowning at Lex's position. It had been a bad year for both of them and it seemed to be going further downhill. She looked at her watch and then shook her head.
"Lex you ready?" Rachael spoke up.
Snapping her head up Lex stared at her friend in surprise.
Rachael could not hold back her grin. Lex looked just like a Jack-in-the-box that sprung open.
"Well? We are going to be late and the girls are gonna be testy, come on!"
Rachael grabbed Lex's discarded jacket and stalked off to the elevator already she had reclaim her keys. She was going to be late to pick up her daughters and that was unacceptable as she had learned from previous events. She could not do late and she certainly did not want to waste time at work. That led her to often wonder why many wasted their life at work when it all came down to it, they would eventually lose their job. Then what?
Lex hadn't had much time to consider what was going on when she had suddenly remembered that her car was still being repaired, already her mind had forgotten that she had use Rachael's Van to go to her weekly appointments. She was the one that had offered to give her a lift home and while she could be left behind…her alternative ride gave her an unpleasant taste in the back of her throat.
Matching Rachael's stride, the brown skinned woman glared at her. "Oh gee thanks for waiting ."
"Your very much welcome now come it's late." Dragging Lex into the elevator, Rachael made sure to press the button for the first floor five times in a hopeless effort to make it go faster. Lex didn't protest and just let Rachael have her way. Hispanic women could be so hard to handle when they were angry.
"So want to come over for dinner?" The Latina fiddled around with her purse making sure she had a good hold of her keys as she did so.
Glancing down uncertainly as she shifted from one foot to the other, Lex stumbled over words. "I am not sure Rache, it's just that… I was thinking of…you know… relaxing at home…"
"Oh come one Lex! Live a lil', its Friday you can relax on Saturday or even on Sunday." Fuming Rachael crossed her arms over her chest.
"Well–"
"Hold the door!"
Automatically Lex reached out to press the Open Door button to stop the doors from closing. Looking up from the elevator controls both females eyes fell on the male that shouted for them to wait. He was running down the lobby carrying a black suit case. Cursing under their breath both of them step back to allow him to enter the small elevator. Huffing for air he said he was heading to the first floor, looking up his blue eyes gave a quick once over Lex's body. He smirked as he tried to fix his messy blond hair.
"Thank you love, did you by any chance need a ride home? I heard that your car is being fixed," he spoke with a small hit of a British accent.
Lex felt herself twitch at his words and forced a smile. "No, not at all Ethan, I got a ride so no worries there."
At her words, his smirk was quickly replaced with a frown. "I see well I was thinking of maybe taking you out for dinner later today… if you're not busy."
Rachael smirked at this "Well Ethan Lex won't be-"
"Free" Lex cut her off, speaking rapidly "I won't be free I am going to dinner with Rachel and her daughters."
"I see…" He glared at Rachael and glanced back to Lex "Maybe some other time?"
Ting! The elevator had reached the first floor.
Grinning at her luck, Lex grabbed Rachael's hand and yanked her out, and rushed to the exit. She made sure to turn back and shout, "Later Ethan! Have a nice weekend!" She really had no intention to of ever wasting her time with him.
"Devious woman," Rachael declared looking at her watch.
"Shut up, weren't you in a hurry?" Lex huffed annoyed.
"Yes I am. I need to pick up the girls but I am keeping you to your words."
"I know." Lex whispered, but she preferred the girls company over any slimebag.
xXx
End Note: I'm excited to see how this will fair this time around.
