Amazing how "Lie to Me" gives you ideas that don't even reflect the Tv show's main theme.
Enjoy ...
"Maybe you shouldn't have come" Ian murmured to my right as I hefted the shoulder bag higher, wincing as it hit my sensitive stomach. It had been the third time I repeated the action and the third time Ian spattered out his concern. With an eye roll I continued on behind the search team.
I asked for leave, stating I was sick, really sick and not even two months later they dragged me out claiming it being the utmost important discovery.
Yeah, upmost important my ass.
"Come on, Stell, you're not-"Ian started up again.
"Stella" I corrected harshly rubbing my stomach gently and stopping when the whole team started to slow down. Furrowing my eyebrows I approached and waited for instruction on when to start. Eyeing the scenery around us I gave a hum of confusion, why would they stop here, there was barely any plant life around here to stop and collect. I looked back up and gave the director an inquiring glance.
He jabbed his thumb behind him and slowly the larger group parted so I could see the reason why we stopped- and paled.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I was informed to ask you ladies to leave this perimeter at once" a man in a military combat uniform instructed as he adjusted his earpiece, his glasses eerily staring blankly at our group, "this area is restricted"
"Come on, we're looking for a cure here" Ralph, the director, sighed rubbing his eyes before shoving his own glasses farther up his nose, "we have confirmation from the state officials to be here" he dug through his pockets.
A few more similarly dressed men came to back up our road blocker and my heart started pounding in my ears. The military was not high on my goody two shoes list, not after they tried to feed me to those xenomorphs two years ago, that thought alone made me shiver. It was times like these where I wish Hult'ah didn't take that position in the seasonal hunt, just when they were about to stage my death WHAM, have to stay on earth just a tad bit longer. I swear, Guan Thwei did this on purpose, just to test my patience.
"Miss, you okay?" jerking back in attention my eyes flew towards where the voice came from and my mouth went dry when they landed on one of the officer's right hand men. He raised an eyebrow and I shakily smiled in reply, trying to refrain from rubbing my stomach in fear of drawing attention. It was easy around beings from different worlds, but with your own species it was nerve wracking. "We have a medical officer just a way off", he offered again as the perspiration on my forehead became more apparent.
"No, there's no-"I began shifting the bag on my shoulder, thus the ritual continued its domino effect and Ian's mouth opened.
"Actually, that'd be awesome, we've been trying to tell her to she's drowning herself in her clothes, you know in this kind of weather, hot as hell and here she is wearing-"
"Ian!" I snapped, gnawing my teeth together as a head ache started pounding away at my temple.
"Stella?" Ralph echoed in concern, stepping forward as the concerned officer shadowed his movement.
"I'm perfectly fine" I stated quickly, holding up my hands in emphasis, "the heat just doesn't bother me" not since the time with Hult'ah and his crew, now that was a 'sweating like a pig' situation, you just learn to adapt.
"Ma'am, why don't you come with us?" the first officer suddenly spoke up and a cold chill went down my spine when I saw him with a hand held device, looking from it to me, "I'm sure our medic would be happy to help with any discomfort" he looked around at my team, "we'll escort her right back to the edge of our perimeters- where you all will be going right now"
"I'd prefer my own reliable doc' who's more than happy to help me" I said as calmly as possible, an image of my last stay with the government flashing across my mind made my stomach painfully churn.
"Don't be so hasty now" he answered coldly passing his electrical device to his left hand man, placing his hand on his hip, drawing attention to his weapon latched there. Rage briefly flushed my systems before I huffed and reined it down. To threaten in such a low manner, how I would love to get ahold of Guan Thwie's Dachande and gnaw it in his skull. "Don't strain yourself either, Miss Dowell, I've heard you don't do so well under stress"
Ah, shoot!
I took a hasty step back, cursing when I stumbled against an oblivious Ian, eyes darting for escape routes I should have scanned for the moment we stopped.
"I wouldn't do that, Miss Dowell" the officer chuckled taking off his glasses and carelessly tucked them into the hem of jeans, right next to his gun, "you see, you came at the perfect time, we're having a small infestation and from what your file shows, you're the perfect person of interest, given you can survive another one, but hell" he chuckled, his brown eyes dancing merrily, "after three, you must be an expert!"
"I have immunity" I choked out, heart pounding, mind racing for a formidable weapon against this group, but I had the problem of them using my own group against me, "Check that on your file, you can't touch me".
"Now, they don't have to know" he hummed out, signaling to his men to circle around, "plus, they'll think you had a... hiking accident, those rocks are a killer up here you know".
Oh, Ello-sde' Pauk!
Spinning on my heel I made a mad dash for the tree line before the officers could close their little circle but didn't even get before something hard skimmed the side of my head with enough force to bring forth black stars to my vision.
...
A bright light from above my closed eyelids aroused me awake to the unpleasant reality of foreboding and a killer headache. With a groan I turned to my side only to flinch back on my back when my stomach rolled uncomfortably.
"Glad to have you back, Miss Dowell" I gruff voice sounded to my left, helping me with directing a certain finger towards his direction. It elicited a chuckled as my eyes opened to find, surprisingly, darkness. I glanced to where the voice and my finger was directed to see a fairly young looking doctor who was holding the offending tool that produced the light that woke me up, "mind answering some nagging questions?"
I grunted bringing my arm down and turned my face away to close my eyes.
"Come on, we all wanna know how you did it!" he sang out excitedly, his body heat coming closer as well as his offending smell, "you survived those monsters, disappeared for months and boom, you're back good as new- man, you were- no are- talk in the forces! Can't go one week without hearing your name"
"They're nocturnal" I informed glumly, moving my arms around my center and scooting on my side, settling down.
"What's that, sweetheart?" he asked laying a hand on my shoulder that was quickly shrugged off. If there really was a Xenomorph infestation, then this guy knew exactly what I was talking about, and from all other outings, he should know zero to none survives an infestation. I could only pray to Cetanu that it wasn't my time yet.
"I hear the bells-a-ringing" I grumbled huddling into myself to conserve heat, realizing how hard of ground it was and that I faintly felt a draft of cool wind at my back. Never did like the cold, even before my little adventure. "do me a favor and kill yourself before they kill you, much less painstaking for the boys"
"Maybe you're a more of a nutcase than a cat woman like they all say" he mumbled before chuckling, his footsteps trotting until they faded into nothingness.
Ello-sde Pauk
I growled under my breath and unfurled myself, carefully sitting up and making my way to my feet. I winced as I hit my head on the tents roof, the railing cold and hard, so much for hospitality I grumbled to myself. Rubbing the now sore spot crept to the opening and cautiously stuck my head out, looking for any form of life. I saw the doctor and a few soldiers sitting around a fire, talking but other than that no others. Must be getting themselves killed I thought bitterly.
A rustling from my side and I froze, holding myself still and preparing for tail or mouth to slide effortlessly into my skull. Instead I heard a growl, not a hiss, come from the bush and the movement confused me a tad, it sounded like a smaller, more compact body than a xenomorph's sleek, light body.
I glanced back at the crowd in front of me, seeing that they were oblivious I inched back inside the tent, rather choosing a quick kill than gun bullets. I stared at the weak wall of the tent, looking for any trace of a shadow to betray the creature next to it. There was another growl and I hunkered down on my knees, waiting.
The tent side bulged slightly inward before giving and revealing a scaled head with bone like tusks sprouting crookedly over its body, jaws gaping as it stalked forward. I blinked and began to- but then the spots caught my attention and the posture, though all the hounds generally looked alike in figure, their spots and spike location individualized them.
The hound stopped and sniffed, rising its snout snorted as it inhaled deeply. It gave me a closer view of its neck and the spotted hide underneath that confirmed my suspicions.
"My baby bear!" I cried, emotions taking a complete one eighty at the realizations. Tears sprang to my eyes as I waggled my fingers at the buff hound as he froze and stared at my actions. I did it again before clapping my hands once, twice before emitting a soft whistle. The hound whined and trotted forward, front paws pawing at the ground, "did you forget about me already?" I sniffed holding out my hand.
Bear came the few short steps separating us before I stroked his snout, careful of the tusks. He still seemed like the runt of his litter but he made up for it in his ferocious mass.
"My baby bear" I cooed when he whined again kneeling in his spot, sniffing again. I caressed his jaw carefully before my mind rebooted. His presence meant that the others had come earlier than expected, and if they had Bear with them... "Where are they, boo?" I whispered hoarsely, rubbing my stomach softly as I cocked my head to the side.
Bear let out a louder whine before moving to slide the side of his body against mine, ever careful with his tusks before lying at my side, facing the direction that he came in from, cuing for me to watch alongside him.
And waited.