Tess and Dean

Chapter 1

Do you know what it's like to be given all the tools and all the education available? To have your life handed to you on a silver platter? To be given the best of everything with nothing expected in return except to show off your talents? Well I have, and no it is not fun. I was groomed from birth to be the best at everything, since I was the child of two amazingly smart and beautiful individuals. My race wanted perfection. They wanted to next movie star to be born. They wanted a bargaining chip when dealing with the other countries of the planet. So, a bunch of scientists got together and mixed the genes from two individuals and grew themselves a baby boy. I was given all the best education, all the best clothing and accessories. I had butlers, assistants, tutors, experts, blah blah blah blah… I know how to speak over 100 languages and dialects of my home world. Along with all my education I was also given the keys to anything I wanted. At a young age I discovered that women everywhere wanted me and men wanted to be me. Jealousy followed me. Lust and desire was discovered at a young age and was taught to me afterwards.

Life was enjoyable up to a certain age. It was around the time I decided that I wanted to have a family of my own. I wanted to raise children the way I wanted to. Of course, I couldn't pick out my wife without the public having a say. There was a whole show about the process. I thought I was in love with her and that she saw me as the individual I was and not the creation I was raised to be. Two children later, we started to fight. A lot. Everyday. I insisted to raise the kids but soon she got tired of me not giving in to her every demand. She didn't understand why I didn't pay for tutors and nannies and butlers to do everything for her. She never got why I wanted to raise my children. She wanted the creation… the fake Dean. Not me. Not… me…

Divorce was public and difficult. She got whatever she wanted as long as she left the kids with me. I raised them myself. They turned out to be amazing little individuals, full of personality and spunk. My daughter became a diplomat, set out to unite the countries and get our planet out into the vast universe; we are so xenophobic. My son decided to become a scientist, studying the effects of continual drilling and the future ramifications for our planet. I am so proud of them. However, I was always in the limelight. I tried to date other girls, but they only saw me as the sex symbol, the creation. I had enough. My children were grown… there was no real reason to stay. My race always hated leaving the planet and refused to admit that there were other races out there that might be better than them. So… goodbye.

I wondered around for a decade or so, doing whatever I pleased. I soon found out, again, that I was still the center of attention. Women still wanted me and men grew jealous of my presence. I was a new addition to a boring universe… a hot commodity that no one got to see since my race was so secluded. I hated it. I wanted to do something else with my life. Longing to be a part of something bigger then myself led me to the middle of a fist fight on a barren little planet. A small bar coddled me for a couple of days when I decided to pick a fight with another patron while drunk. I lost. Miserably. But the guy took pity on me. Sobered me up and asked if I wanted to help his team out. So, I cursed him out, got into another fight and then agreed.

That's how I met Mack, Torren and Groff; my new family. I learned new things with them. Fighting was new to me, but I've always been a fast learner. Electronics came easy as did weapons. I was an asset. I was needed. I was a part of something larger. For decades I traveled with them… freedom fighters. No one recognized me or even knew anything about me. I could create myself into something I wanted to be. No more shows, no more having all eyes on me, waiting to see what I did next.

Of course, all that changed over time. I learned that I had a dark side. I enjoyed causing chaos and building pain and painting the walls with the blood of my enemies. I was a freedom fighter… enjoying the kill shouldn't have been the problem when I was dealing with the enemy, right? Well, I guess the 'problem' was that I was scaring the locals after we were done. Too bad, I thought. I didn't care. But my team did. They saw the light in my eyes dim. They told me that my personality was changing, but I didn't care. I felt that for once, I was the opposite of what I was created to be. And then I met her…

Tess came to us in a whirlwind. We were on a backwater planet fighting the federation goons when this little slip of a girl goes bouncing through the trees, leaving bodies in her wake. We took control of the ground troops and she finished off the ones above. I still remember when she landed on the ground. Her brown hair was up in a bun, twigs and leaves sticking out from moving so fast through the branches. Her green eyes looked up at mine and I felt a wave of… something hit me. They were wild… like mine now. She enjoyed what she did. When Torren rushed over to her, her eyes changed back to that normal, 'non-crazy' look. He went on and on about how she reminded him of his daughter and that she was the same age and the same build and yadda yadda yadda. Tess was young, don't get me wrong; barely nineteen. The team didn't like having to leave her alone so they paired up with her. We fought beside each other for a month. We got to know her very well. Her laugh was contagious… Everyone bonded with her and no one wanted to let her leave. When the time came, it was with heavy hearts all around. Mack wanted to keep track of her so I designed a device that she unknowingly had injected under her skin. The next place she landed, our group 'just happened' to be in the area, read to assist.

It was during this time that Mack made a decision that would change my life forever. He paired us up. Until now, I never really talked too much with her. I was in the back of the group… now I had to fight alongside her and only her. I hated it at first. Man, I'll tell you, she was a pain in the ass. She got me out of my hole though. The only one to reach me again. You said you wanted to know about my relationship with Tess. Well, give me some time to remember the details, alright Rick?