Acceptance

by Darkly-Shaded-Shadow

Set in the Future Time Line, Cell emerges to a bleak and broken world, ravished by the androids. However, they have since been destroyed, and he struggles to accept this fact. Lost, without purpose, he hunts and feeds relentlessly, only he finds himself drawn to a dying woman who has no fear of him. This story is for mature people. It has some dark and adult themes.

1. I

The sky was dark and full of heavy, black clouds. The wind was starting to develop an icy bite to it, and it seemed to scream through the shattered windows and empty streets. Old newspapers twirled around the debris from a downed building, snagging on an exposed wire strut and billowing like a torn flag.

Cell sat perched on the edge of the roof of an old bank. It was falling apart now. A huge hole in the side had let the elements in, and the wood had rotted and the concrete had crumbled. Only the shell remained, giving the terrifying creation the perfect vantage point to inspect the damaged and broken city.

There was little left for him in this world. Most people were dead. Some survived in tiny pockets, but thanks to the androids, there were no more people in cities or towns. Large communities were non-existent. Worse than that, was nobody had seen or heard from the android siblings in months. The trail was cold. Cell was following their path of destruction, from destroyed city to destroyed city, but each scene of destruction was old, the dust long since had settled.

Cell was worried. What if his androids were gone? What if he was too late and his destiny had been snatched away? He snarled, his long tail thrashing behind him in agitation.

"No." He hissed to himself. "I will not give up hope yet. I will be complete!" He assured himself quietly. He forced his mind to calm the turmoil and concentrate. His senses reached out beyond his own body as his eyes closed. He could feel the life energy of the all the living things for miles around. Each showed up to him a dim golden light, a pin prick in a sea of darkness. Rats and stray cats and dogs roamed the city streets below while carrion scavenging crows cawed from their perches in the trees and buildings above.

A nest of large pterodactyl like dinosaurs inside the blasted open side of a sky scraper showed as a slightly brighter energy, but it was still too little for Cell to bother with. He reached out further, spreading his keen senses wider, scanning until…

"There…" He almost purred to himself as he found the tiny underground group of humans, their energy brighter than the others, and inviting. "Dinner…" He grinned, leaping silently from his perch, and landing smoothly on top of a trashed car, crushing its roof in, before he bounded off down the street with barely a sound as his tail flicked out behind him.

Cell silently stalked his prey. Two men, each armed with automatic machine guns and hunting knives roughly sheathed on their belts. Each wore a mitch-match of clothes, and each looked dirty and hungry. They stood under the balcony of a crumbling church, a barrel stuffed with old books and garbage was aflame, casting eerie shadows over the scene. It had begun to rain, but the men were making light of it, as they stood dry in their make-do shelter, laughing loudly.

The sound of a loud and noisy bike gave them both pause to concern, each swinging their guns forward and handling them menacingly as an old and monstrous bike rolled around the corner, thundering up the street, easily swerving between or over debris. It stopped outside the church, the engine giving one last roar before it powered down. A figure in a huge trench coat with a hood up to shield against the rain dismounted. It fiddled with the bike for a second, before it collapsed into its capsule, which the figure quickly pocketed. It hurried to the two men, where they made a show of loudly protesting against the figure. Out of the rain and wind, the figure removed the hood, revealing a wind-strewn pile of hair that was quickly brushed out of the face of a middle aged woman. She was striking with her sharp features and mass of auburn red hair.

The men and the woman argued quietly, but sternly to each other. Cell watched on from his hidden spot across the street inside what used to be a café. He did not need lights to see in the dark, and the fire was way too far away for it to reveal him. He moved silently and quickly, like a well-practiced hunter, and he effortlessly crossed the street in the howling wind and rain, immune to the biting chill. None of the humans noticed him.

The trio apparently reached an agreement as one of the men slung his weapon over his shoulder and led the woman inside the church. The now lone man slung his weapon as well and warmed his hands over the fire, while causally glancing around the street. The rain and wind drowned out all but the loudest sounds, and the man barely managed a gargled gasp as Cell's needle like tail pierced his throat. He never saw his attacker.

Cell preferred the throat. The humans made little noise, and their faces twisted into the most horrifying poses as they twitched and writhed. Cell drained the man in the space of a breath, leaving his clothes and the automatic machine gun to clatter to the floor. Cell turned his attention back to the Church, his keen eyes staring straight into the darkness.

The other guard returned shortly after, and instantly noticed the clothes and gun in the pile next to the flaming barrel.

"Mitch?!" The man yelled, frantically looking around. He whirled around at a sneering laugh, only to have his throat pierced. Cell's face was right in his, watching as the man silently screamed, his eyes rolling back as he was sucked dry. Cell licked his leathery lips appreciating his feast.

"Delicious." He turned back to the church and slipped inside the darkness. It was damp inside and cool, but the walls kept the wind out and aside from a few small holes which currently dripped, the roof kept the rain out. Cell paused for a moment, allowing his keen eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The pews were little more than splintered and rotten wood, collapsing under their own weight. The altar and pillars were made of marble and stood proud amongst the ruin. Cell took a few silent steps in, and stopped suddenly, his senses flaring madly. Something surged through him he had never felt before and his body was reacting wildly before his mind could piece together why.

He lifted himself from his stooped stalk and stood to his full height, his strange beaked face lifting to the ceiling, his mouth slightly agape as he 'sensed' the air. Cell had no hairs on his body, but he had small insect like sensors covering his un-armoured neck and face, and these were going wild. He had no mammalian nose, but he could taste the air as a snake could, and it smelt… wonderful.

'The woman!' Cell realized. He could smell the woman. But why was she capturing his attention? Something was not right. He lowered himself back down and stalked quickly and quietly through the church, heading down into the basement. As soon as he reached the lower levels, the area began to warm up. There were candles down here, and it was dry. He made his way through the corridors, his senses keen as could be. He passed by sleeping people in rooms that were closed off with hanging curtains. People he would delight in feasting on shortly enough. He could hear people talking up ahead, at the end of the corridor. He approached, keeping to the shadows and out of the candle light that poured out of the large open room at the end.

He could see an older man, heavy set with a bulging belly sitting on a mountain of cushions, and flaunting his obvious wealth. He was far better dressed than most humans of today, and there was food on a low table besides him. Food was scarce. Sitting on the cold stone floor in front of him was the woman. A young man, healthy and well fed sat to the mans' right.

The woman had her back mostly to Cell, but he stared at her intently, studying her. She had her trench coat off, neatly folded besides her, revealing her slender frame and long mass of messy red hair that she had attempted to tie back in a fraying pony tail. The wealthy man was laughing heartily at whatever the woman had just said.

"So! Let me get this straight. You figured you'd just show up and expect me to give you food and medicine, when you have nothing worthy to trade? This is rich!"

"I never said I had nothing to trade, Tank. There's a weapons cache in this city I can show you. It was Mechs, and I checked it earlier today. It hasn't been cleaned out yet."

"Mech? That arrogant upstart. What happened to him exactly?"

"He double crossed the Tanyard brothers' during a trade and the resulting shit storm resulted in about a dozen deaths from both sides. Those who didn't die fled. Now the Tanyards' gang and what's left of Mech's Men are scattered. But it won't take long for them to raid the caches."

"Ah, power shifts." The fat man, that was known as Tank mused, absently scratching at his grey stubble. He stared at the woman for a while, making a show of thinking.

"Alright, Rowan, you can have 50 cans, 20 litres and 2 med packs, in exchange for a viable cache, which we can confirm in the morning." Tank said with a huge grin.

"I need 5 med packs, at least." Rowan was adamant. Tank chuckled and leaned towards Rowan.

"I've heard rumours about you, Rowan. Are they true? Because if they are…"

"It doesn't work so well when I'm sick, Tank." Rowan said flatly. Cell could see her shoulders rise slightly in a defensive shift. Subtle, but Cell missed nothing.

"Sick? That's a shame. Not contagious is it?"

"Dust Poisoning." Rowan said simply. Tanks face fell into a scowl.

"I lost my brother to that. Nasty way to go." Rowan shrugged but said nothing. Tank stared at her again for a while. "So it doesn't work at all now?" He said slyly.

"It works still, but the effect is greatly reduced."

"Is that why you're here, begging for food, instead of enjoying the life of luxury with Mech?"

"I left Mech for other reasons. He didn't bother chasing after me because it doesn't work anymore." Rowan said in a bored tone. She looked around the room casually, her eyes looking down the corridor. She froze for a second, her eyes locking with Cells but she looked back at Tank.

Had she seen him? Cell wondered. He was in the shadows, and he knew with the light from the room blinding her eyes from the darkness, he would be invisible to her. But she had looked right at him. He took a step back into the darkness, just in case, watching as they talked some more.

"Alright Rowan. You can have the 5 med packs, but… Only if you give me the benefit of your gift. Even if it isn't as strong as it used to be, I'd still like to try it out for myself." Rowan sighed, as if she had been expecting this and reluctantly agreed.

Eventually, Tank's henchman left and returned with a huge loading trolley piled with 4 boxes of canned food and several huge jugs of water and 5 small green boxes. Rowan packed away 5 med packs, 20 litres of clean water and 50 cans of food into a storage capsule that she shrunk back after it had been packed, and slipped it back inside her pocket.

Cell watched, as the henchman left through a side door, and Tank led Rowan by the wrist into a curtained off alcove where he obviously slept. Rowan treated it like business, as she stripped and slipped into the bed with Tank. Cell was disgusted and turned away from the grunting and moaning of Tanks boorish mating.

Cell slipped down the corridors, methodically killing off the sleeping humans he had passed earlier, stabbing each in the throat and draining them before they could wake any of the others. By the time he had finished his feast, he returned to the corridor outside the main room. Rowan was dressed again, sitting at the table, enjoying the food while Tank snored loudly. What surprised Cell the most, was that Tanks' energy burned brighter than it had before. Cell studied Rowans exposed back. She was wearing a ripped and stained black tank top and comfortable dark grey cargo pants. Her trench coat was besides her.

"I know you're watching me." She said between mouthfuls of food. Cell felt his lips curl back in defiance, baring his pointed fangs. Rowan glanced over her shoulder, straight at Cell.

"I can smell you." She said simply. Cell slowly emerged from the shadows into the light of the candles. He was huge, forced to stoop forward to avoid hitting the ceiling. He was a monster, he knew, and he carried himself like a predator. Huge shelled wings like a beetles on his back and a long whip like tail with the needle tip hung over him like a scorpion. His face sported a huge leathery orange beak and a V-shaped head crest. His eyes were large with slit pupils, like a cats. Even his fingernails were long, curved and black, making him look like he had claws.

Despite his monstrous appearance, Rowan gave him the once over without showing even the tiniest hint of fear. She turned back to her food and resumed eating.

"Don't know what you are, but you're kind of interesting. Why don't you come join me? Grab some eating while the eating is good." Rowan said casually. Her smell was potent in this room. It caused Cell's senses to fire off, trying to tell him something. He moved a little closer to her, knowing how easy it would be to just stab her and drain her with her back and neck exposed to him. But he hesitated. There was something important about her, and he stood silent, trying to understand it.

"Trying to figure it out?" She asked suddenly, glancing back at him, as if reading his mind. He stared at her.

"Figure what out, exactly?" He hissed in his rasped voice. She smiled.

"You can talk." She said happily. "My smell. It's probably a lot stronger since I just had sex." She was so casual and conversational about it, which threw Cell a little.

"Why do you smell like this?" He asked quietly.

"Not sure exactly, but I'm guessing it's because my Ma wasn't human." She replied, completely casually. Cell's eyes narrowed as he withdrew into his mental palace, frantically running through the mountains of information he had stored in there. Suddenly, it was there, right in front of him. Something Gero had added to the computer, data about an alien species. He had only a small sample from a woman a long time ago. A woman whom Gero had discovered by pure chance when he was measuring people's bio-signature while looking for candidates for his android program.

A woman he had captured, but had escaped within hours, leaving him with only a blood sample. A blood sample that turned out to be truly unbelievable. An alien species that created an incredibly complex chemical that bonded with the DNA of other beings and enhanced it to super levels. A woman, whom had obviously reproduced.

"Not human…" Cell repeated the words to himself and he stared at the woman. Now he could sort of see it. Her skin was not so much pale, as it was just lighter in tone. Her eyes were a strange bright green, a very rare shade for humans. The differences were very minor however. This biggest give away was her scent. Powerful, and intoxicatingly potent.

"Anyhoo, if you aren't going to eat anything, do you mind if I finish this off?" Rowan asked, gesturing to the remaining food. Cell gestured grandly for her to continue, which she did, quickly devouring everything that was left. Cell could only watch as his mind raced. Gero had programmed the computer with the incredible DNA, and the computer had given all the data to Cell as he had been forming inside the tank. Cell knew what the computer knew… But there was something else. Perhaps the computer had programmed into Cell's fundamental DNA, an urge, or desire to prevent him from killing what could otherwise be an asset?

Cell didn't know for sure. But he knew he had no desire to kill or consume this woman. And the longer he stood so close to her, breathing in that heady scent, the more his body developed the urge to do something else… Something Cell had never considered before, and had never had a driving desire to even try. But now it came sauntering into his conscious mind flaunting itself, and Cell didn't know how to respond.

"Ah…" Rowan sat back and gently rapped her fingers on her full belly. "I feel so much better after having a good meal. First one in a while." She leaned back until she could see Cell's face and smiled broadly. "Feel kind of sleepy though. So, just going to ask, you friend or foe?" Cell stared at her for a long time, considering everything, and running through the data in his mind.

"Friend." He replied after coming to a drawn out conclusion. "To you at least." He added, glancing at the snoring Tank through the curtains. Rowan followed Cell's gaze and shrugged.

"Oh well. I'm going to get some sleep. It's dry and warm. I feel full. I feel good." Cell watched as she fluffed up the pile of pillows and stretched out on them, using her trench coat as a blanket. "G'night." She said in a sing-song voice and rolled onto her side. Cell watched her breathing as it slowed and eased. After a few minutes, he was certain she was asleep, and he went to work. He made short work of Tank, lavishing the satisfying meal his renewed energy gave him. He went through the back door and methodically cleared out every other human he could sense.

He slipped out of the church and disappeared into the dark and stormy streets, vanishing into the night, hunting.

Days passed by. Rowan was in the country, having left the cities behind her. She had awoken in the church, days ago, discovered that everyone was gone, leaving behind their clothes in their beds. She was not a fool, and had methodically gathered as many supplies from the church as she could stuff into the capsuled containers she carried and had quickly made an escape from the city. She was now heading North East. She had seen nobody in days. Every house was empty. She enjoyed fresh fruit when she drove through Orchard territory. It had been a welcome relief from the canned and preserved foods that constituted the majority of her meals.

She slept in abandoned houses, and took only supplies. She wouldn't take the valuables or personal items from someone's house, even if that someone was long gone. She siphoned fuel from any vehicles she found, and considered herself very lucky when she tested a fuel pump at an old service station in a small town and found it to not yet have been raided. She stocked up her fuel drums, capsuling those.

For the first time since the androids had first attacked, Rowan felt like she was prepared, and of course, it was only after she had begun to die. The coughing fits that shook her were getting more severe and more frequent. She used the med packs sparingly, the spray down her throat eased the coughing and hid the symptoms but she knew she would run out soon, and not long after that, she would die.

She was caught up in her own thoughts, when she noticed a small truck travelling along the same road. Another traveller. She slowed down, cautious. In today's world, people were either friends or foes. Foes were people whose survival instincts didn't extend past themselves, and they killed and robbed anybody they met for the supplies that they carried. Friends were sources of information and people willing to trade goods.

The trucks slowed down and eventually they both stopped a good 50 feet in front of one another. Rowan dismounted her bike and pulled back the hood of her coat and lifted her arm in a formal wave. A young man jumped out the truck and returned the gesture. Relief gripped Rowan as the two walked towards each other, meeting in the middle, the informal gesture of neutral ground.

"How goes it friend?" She asked. The man was thin and looked starved, but he had kind eyes and wore baggy overalls.

"It's not good. The way I've just come, the lands have been ravished by a monster. It attacks during the nights and sucks people away until nothing but their clothes remain."

"Oh, that's not good. The way I've just come is empty and devoid of life. You the first person I've seen in days." The man looked grim and nodded.

"Have you any food or fuel you can spare?" He asked in desperation. It was very rare for charity these days.

"There's a fuel station about 12 clicks back up this road. It still has fuel in it's tanks. I filled up not 20 minutes past. I can give you enough to get your truck there, if you don't have enough. As for food, there are plantations and orchids about half a day past the fuel station. Apples and citruses. I have some cans I can spare for trade if you'd like." The man's face broke into relief and delight and he was eager to trade.

It was a good hour later before they had finished their trade and the man's truck had been topped up and was driving down the road that Rowan had just come from. She was happy. She had traded some of her preserved foods and blankets for a working MP3 player and some tools that could come in handy.

The news of the Monster was concerning, but she mounted her bike and continued on anyway. She was aware that the simple and short exchange with the man was more memorable than anything before, simply because she craved the company.

The sky was growing dark as the sun set in the mountain ranges when Rowan reached a sprawling town. It was empty and quiet. She capsuled her bike and headed down the street, finding a small cosy hotel. She helped herself to a room, tested a tap and was relived to find the water still running. Even better, was the hot water worked as well, the solar panels on the roof still intact.

She treated herself to a hot bath, soaking delightfully when she heard the door open and close. She frowned and slipped out her bath, wrapping herself in a towel and arming herself by snapping the towel rack from the wall and lifting it like a baseball bat. She hesitated only a moment before she opened the bathroom door and stepped into the room.

Cell looked her in the eyes, unblinking. He was huge, and dominating, making the room look tinier than it was.

"Oh, it's just you." Rowan said, lowering her makeshift weapons. "I was afraid you might have been a thief." Cell tilted his head to the side in surprise.

"You fear other people more than me?" She shrugged.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have. You've made your decision already. Other people are dangerous. They are unpredictable and stupid. Plus I need my supplies." She stopped suddenly, as a coughing fit took her and she doubled over. Cell watched, as she pulled off her towel and wiped her mouth, revealing blood.

"Damnit." She cursed. She slipped around Cell to the bed where her capsules and a shoulder bag where laid out, along with some clothes. She threw the bloodied towel on the floor, and now, completely naked and at home with this fact, she rummaged through her bag. Cell watched her every move like a hawk, soaking in every detail, the little nuances of the way she moved, the tiniest of limps in her left leg where it had obviously been broken years before, even the way she flicked her long hair behind her shoulders. She was thinner than she had been in the previous city. Her ribs were visible, and as she bent over the bed, her hips and some of her vertebrae stood out.

He didn't even think about it, he just reached out gently touching a faded, jagged scar that ran across her left shoulder blade. She started at his sudden touch, glancing back at him, before she returned to her bag, pulling out a small green metal box. She flicked it open, pulling out a small glass vial and an inhaler. She carefully poured some of the liquid into the inhaler and shook it, before sucking in the spray.

"Ahh…" She said, her tense body relaxing.

"What is this dust poisoning?" Cell asked, finally letting his hand fall. Rowan sat on the bed, looking up at Cell with a strange unreadable expression.

"When the androids first attacked, the global armies fought back. But the androids kept wiping them out. Eventually, in an act of desperation, the armies tried a Nano attack, designed to attack the machinery of the androids. It didn't work, and what's worse, is that it created a sort of dust like haze that clogged the cities they had bombed for weeks. Breathing in too much of the Nano dust shredded your lungs and poisoned your blood. Eventually it eats away everything and you die." Rowan was matter-of-fact and could have just as easily have been talking at a lecture then referring to what was happening to her own body.

Cell lowered himself down so he was sort of sitting on the floor, leaning forward while his wings and tail spread out behind him. His face was level with Rowans and she sadly smiled at him.

"I can't really give you what you want. I'm sick. And it doesn't work so well when I'm sick." Cell's eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"I am aware." He said bitterly.

"I don't mind if you still want to try, just for the fun of it." This made Cell's eyes widen in surprise.

"You actually want to have sex with me? Why?" Rowan sighed deeply which caused her to cough again. After she finally stopped and regained her composure she smiled at Cell.

"I'm dying. And I'm alone. It's depressing and I could use the company and the comfort. Plus it's only sex. It's not that important. Not to me anyway." Cell frowned and looked down at his hands.

He had never considered having sex before. It was a daunting thing to think about. And he wondered if there was even a point to it, since he could gain little from it. His mind turned to his androids. He was certain now that they were gone. Destroyed. He still had yet to learn how, but that realization had been a huge and depressing slap in the face for him. Something he had been mulling over for days.

"You look so sad." Rowan said, her voice full of concern. Cell lifted his face back up to lock eyes with hers. That moment seemed to last an eternity, the two just staring at each other. Cell was lost. He had lost his sense of purpose and it had made him vulnerable. Rowan lifted her hand to his face, feeling the warmth of his skin, and the leathery texture of his head crest and his soft, leathery beak. She leaned forward slowly, and kissed him on the top of his beak. Cell swallowed the uncomfortable lump that had formed in his throat as she lowered her lips down to his.

The kiss was awkward and unusual, but not unenjoyable. Rowan pulled back from Cell and let her hand drop from his face. She smiled at Cell, at his confused and conflicted expression.

"You can leave if you'd rather. I'm not interested in forcing you to do something you don't want to." She was casual about it again, and shrugged her shoulders as if to emphasize the fact. Cell stared at her naked body. She was skinny and underfed, but she was clean from her bath, and the soft flesh of her breasts and her warm lips were inviting. After a moment of considering it, he threw caution to the wind, and lunged at her suddenly, finding her mouth with his own and kissing her hungrily. He pushed her back onto the bed, as his hand clumsily felt just how soft and warm her skin was.

She pulled his face in for a deeper kiss, tasting his tongue with her own, and sucking on his bottom lip. Cell felt a part of him stir that had never stirred before, and felt himself swell. He slipped out of his orange ribbed sheath, pressing against her thigh. She let him lick at her exposed neck, tasting her flesh hungrily, as his hand felt the lines and curves of her body, enjoying the sudden soft bush of hair between her legs, and the incredible warmth that it hid. His member ached as her taste and smell completely overwhelmed him.

He was inexperienced, and it showed. But she guided him, kissing him gently until he slid inside her, causing her to break their kiss and gasp. He was not a small being, and his size took her by surprise. He was overwhelmed by the tightness around him, and the immense pleasure of that warmth. Natural instinct kicked in, as he eased himself out a little before thrusting back in. He watched as her head rolled back, framed by the halo of her beautiful red hair, and watching her expression of enjoyment as he thrust himself inside her again.

He had never felt anything so intense before, and he learned a great deal about his own body in a very short time. He was careful not to use his power, as he was afraid he could hurt her, but he couldn't help but thrust himself inside her a little harder each time, always careful to watch her face. She pulled his face back to hers, kissing him hard on the mouth, before deepening it with relish. He felt the pressure inside him building up already and he knew he couldn't keep this up for long. It felt far too good and he didn't have any control over it yet. Her smell was overpoweringly potent and he could taste it on her skin and on her lips as they kissed. It took him over and with only a few more thrusts he exploded, breaking their passionate kiss as he succumbed to the crashing wave of pleasure that all but paralysed him with its intensity.

He could do little but wait until the intensity subsided and he regained control of his body and his senses. He looked down at Rowan who was grinning slyly up at him, her hand tracing the outline of his face. He was breathing heavily and he was surprised at how draining the actual act was. She pulled him back down for another kiss, this one softer and more tender than the previous.

She finally let him go and after a moments' hesitation and with a soft groan, he pulled himself out of her and rolled onto his side. She rolled onto her side, facing him with a smile on her face. He could only stare at her, still struggling to regain control over his own body. He closed his eyes for a moment as he calmed himself, and inspected his own body. He was amazed at how energized he felt, despite also feeling drained. He evaluated his energy, and could almost see the chemical bonds that were happening as his power continued to increase alarmingly fast. It was not a huge increase, but for someone like Cell, the increase was never the less, remarkable.

He opened his eyes slowly as she ran her fingers over the side of his jaw.

"That was your first time, wasn't it?" She asked softly. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed before he gave her a single small nod. She smiled broader, showing her neat white teeth. "Thank you." She added, leaning over and giving him another small kiss on his beak. He managed a small smile, revealing his fanged teeth.

"Will you stay?" She asked after a while. He frowned at her question.

"For how long?" She shrugged in response but slid across the bed, wrapping her arm around his waist and burying her face against his chest. He snaked his arm around her shoulder protectively without thinking about it. The fact that it had felt natural to him concerned him, but he figured he'd think on it later.

The night grew cold, and Cell woke with a start. He was surprised he had fallen asleep at all. He glanced down at Rowan who was asleep, snuggled against him. But she was shivering, still naked. He reached out behind her, tugging at the blanket that they were laying on, and pulled it over her, wrapping his arm around her for the extra warmth. He gently channelled his energy, making his own body warm up. She stopped shivering and shifted, making herself comfortable while mumbling before she settled down and was still again, aside from her steady breathing.

Cell eased himself slowly off the bed, replacing himself with a pillow as he moved. Rowan didn't wake. He headed out of the room and down into the streets bellow. He quickly found himself perched on top of a street light, his tail hanging down as his mind ran rampant. He considered leaving, resuming his desperate search for the androids, eating everyone he stumbled across as he had been doing for the past 2 years… He glanced back up at the dark window where he knew Rowan slept.

Or he could stay with her. He went back over the incredible experience he had shared with her, and felt himself become partially aroused again. He smirked to himself and he forced his body back under his control.

"No wonder humans breed like rabbits." He muttered. He regained his composure and thought about his options. He was conflicted.

The sky began to lighten, and Cell realized he had been sitting on the street light, thinking, for a while. He sighed to himself and wondered if his current predicament was more because of the programming of the computer, or the misery he felt because of the missing androids?

"Both." He finally decided and accepting that, slipped off his perch and made his way back up to the room. After being out in the fresh cold air of the street, the smell of the room hit Cell hard like a punch to the belly. Her smell was potent and still lingered in the enclosed air. Cell felt his insides twist and his hidden member stir beneath his protective sheath. He fought bitterly against his own body. He had to maintain some decency and form of control if he was going to be around her.

It proved a difficult battle, as the longer he stayed in the room, the headier the scent became, until finally he snapped and fled back outside. Quickly he managed to reign himself back under control and realized how difficult this was going to be.

Rowan woke to an empty bed but smiled wistfully to herself. She honestly hadn't expected him to hang around. She didn't linger on her moment of disappointment though, and slipped out of bed, and dressed herself in a turtle neck shirt and jeans. The sun outside was warm looking, but it was autumn and it would be chilly out. She repacked her supplies, medicated herself and threw on her trench coat, heading outside.

She stopped as she saw Cell, standing to his full impressive height; tail curled behind him and a strange look on his face.

"Uh... Good morning."

"Good morning. Sleep well?" He rasped. She smiled, realizing that he looked decisive and strong.

"I did, very much so." Cell lifted his arm, showing a juicy red apple.

"I took the liberty of breakfast." He said smugly, and tossed the apple gently at her. She caught it and with a smile, bit into it.

"Mmmm. Thank you. By the way…" She began between bites. "I've slept with you, but I don't know your name." Cell grinned at this.

"My name, is Cell." She nodded.

"Odd name. Cell." His grin turned into a smile and his tail flicked behind him. "Seru." She added after a while. Cell tilted his head in curiosity.

"Seru?"

"Yeah. I like it. I'll call you Seru."

"My name is Cell." He repeated a little flatly. She grinned at him and shrugged, and he didn't bother to argue the point.

The day flew by. Rowan was on her bike, enjoying the scenery. She knew Cell was following her, though at first she hadn't believed him when he had refused to ride on her bike with her, preferring the exercise. But sure enough, he had kept pace with her, running alongside her bike with incredible ease. He disappeared into the forest though, as another vehicle had approached. It was another 'friend' and she spent several hours negotiating trade and exchanging information with the small family in their van. She was warned of bandits in a town up the road, and she thanked them before they finally went their own ways.

Rowan saw the town the family had mentioned and stopped on the ridge of the hill, deciding to camp out, rather than risk a night time ambush. She slipped off the road and into the bushland and set up a crude tent, designed more to keep the bugs out, rather than the warmth in.

Cell joined her as she was warming up a can of food over a small camper stove. She avoided making a fire, and kept lighting to an absolute minimum. She wasn't stupid enough to advertise her location, especially when bandits around.

Cell sat himself down on top of a boulder, watching her with a hungry expression. She was aware of his intent, and felt her face flush, but tried to ignore him while she ate her dinner. After, she cleaned up her mess and packed it all away. She did a quick walk around outside the camps' clearing.

"There is no one close by." Cell said. She glanced back at him, but continued to do her walk.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I can sense the energy of living creatures. There are no humans close by. There is a small herd of deer about 600 feet that way though." He said, pointing casually to the left. Rowan stared at him for a moment, before she finally gave up and made her way over to him. Even though he was sitting down, he still loomed over her. She smiled at him as he lowered his face to hers.

"I'm going to go lay down." She said after a while, and turned her back on Cell, unzipping the insect netting on her tent. "You know, this netting is designed to keep insects out. But there's one insect I don't mind being bitten by." She said slyly, glancing over her shoulder. The look she gave Cell was all the invitation he needed, and he slid from the rock, and pulled her into his arms in one fluid moment.

She had her back against his chest, and moaned softly as he nibbled on the flesh of her neck. One hand slid under her shirt, feeling the heavy weight of her breast, massaging it through her bra. She groaned as he nuzzled her cheek and licked her neck, sucking on the tender flesh gently. Her smell and her moans made him aroused and he slipped from his sheath, pressing against her lower back. She shifted in his arms, sliding one hand behind her back, tenderly grasping him and giving him a gentle squeeze. She felt his sudden sharp exhale and grinned as she massaged his sensitive flesh.

He swallowed, suddenly frozen by the actions of her hand. Slowly she moved, turning around to face him. She leaned up to kiss him, and he relished her taste. She broke the kiss slowly, and he could only watch as she lowered herself down to her knees, and smiling up at him, slid his member into her mouth.

He felt his entire body freeze up, almost paralysed at the intense pleasure that she gave him. He didn't think anything could beat the previous night. He was wrong.

Rowan brought him close to the brink, and he groaned and trembled. She stopped suddenly, giving his tip a small kiss as she stood back up, looking him in the eye. He slowly tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and leaned down, kissing her tenderly. She deftly undid her jeans, and he helped pull them down, discarding them to the side, followed by her underwear. Cells hands found the firm flesh of her rear, and squeezed it as he pulled her body against his. He used his strength, effortlessly lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist, groaning into his mouth as he eased her down, sliding inside of her. This position was deep, and he supported her easily, although his knees felt like jelly.

He turned around, using the boulder as leverage, and leaning her against that, as he thrust himself inside of her. He was more prepared this time, and more hungry because of that. He thrust faster and harder into her than he had before, nibbling on the flesh of her neck, as she arched her back against him, her legs pulling him deeper inside of her.

He used on hand to support them against the rock; the other unhooked her bra, and found a breast, freeing it. He lifted her shirt and dropped his mouth to the tender flesh, tasting it, and loving how different it felt to the rest of her. She groaned, her hands clawing hungrily at his crest. He ached as he thrust, and all too quickly he trembled and exploded inside of her again, becoming paralysed in the ecstasy as he was forced to stop.

He held her for a while after that, burying his face against the warm flesh of her neck, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He tried to catch his breath while his body slowly began to return to normal. He slipped out of her, but he didn't put her down, lifting his face to hers. She kissed him again, and he nuzzled her neck, breathing in her heady scent, all the stronger now.

"I'm never going to get used to this." He rasped against her neck. She giggled at that, a rather surprising sound, but one he didn't mind. He turned his attention back to his own body, felt once again, the small surge of power and grinned to himself. Until he remembered, that no matter how much energy he amassed, it meant nothing if he couldn't become complete… He needed the androids.

He finally put Rowan down, annoyed at the thought that had soured an otherwise remarkable experience. Rowan seemed to sense his bitterness, and she brought him back into a kiss, her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. He hated to admit it, but that made him feel a little better, and as she let him go, he smiled.

She headed to her sleeping bag inside the tent, yawning. Cell was surprised to catch himself yawn in response. He considered the tent. It was a large tent, but he was a very large man. Rowan settled it though, as she slid over to the side and patted the area next to her. He hesitated only a moment, before he crawled inside. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with one arm. He would have to keep him legs bent, and his tail curled up in order to fit, but as Rowan snuggled her back up against his chest, and he smelt the fruity flavours of her hair, he decided it was worth it.

He draped his free arm around her, and she hugged his hand to her chest. He used his other arm as a pillow and he closed his eyes.

Cell awoke quite suddenly, to a strange sensation in his tail. His eyes opened, adjusting to the early dawn light, revealing Rowan sitting up with a rather curious look on her face as she gentle traced the needle tip of his tail.

"That… tickles." He hissed, surprised at just how sensitive it was. Rowan giggled to herself but let him slide his tail out of her hands. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before she unzipped the tent and headed out.

"Oh what a beautiful sunrise." Rowan said. Cell stayed where he was, one hand on the warm spot where Rowan had been sleeping. He heard her slip off into the brush to relieve herself, only to come back a few moments later and rummage around in the supplies.

"I'm thinking we can walk around the town, and get back onto the road on the other side by lunch time. Maybe even make it to the valley before sun set." Rowan said. Cell grunted.

"We could just go through the town." He suggested.

"I'd prefer not to tangle with bandits. They might not be there now, but if they are, they could be a huge pain in the ass."

"Pity. I could use the snack." Cell heard Rowan stop moving at this and almost slapped himself for saying something so stupid.

"So… You do eat people." It was a statement, not a question. Her voice was quiet. Cell sighed and finally slid out of the tent, standing up to his full impressive height in front of Rowan.

"Yes." He said simply. Her face was unreadable until she turned away and continued packing.

"I kind of knew it to be honest. I just… Well, I guess I just never really thought about it. " She seemed sadder and Cell frowned.

"Does that bother you?" Rowan turned back to Cell with a rather dark look on her features.

"How could it not? There aren't a lot of people left. Having someone eating people isn't exactly good news." She said bitterly. Cell looked away from her. He found her disappointment surprisingly uncomfortable.

"Still… I suppose that's apart of what you are. Whatever you are." Rowan said dismissively. Cell studied her as she turned away from him, packing up the tent.

"I'm… I'm a bio-mechanical android." He said cautiously. She turned suddenly back to him, eyes wide.

"You're an android?! You're… You're one of them?" He knew she was talking about 17 and 18, the sibling androids that had been responsible for almost destroying the world and wiping out humanity.

"Not exactly. My purpose is actually to capture them, absorb them and become complete."

"What?" She sounded almost sceptical. He frowned.

"It's a little hard to explain. I was created by the same man that created the other androids. I was created after them. I was told, that if I merged with them… Basically, if I ate them, I'd obtain my perfect form, and unimaginable power. I would be the ultimate being, a creature of flawless power, skill and intelligence. It is my driving desire, my purpose and my reason for being."

"Then why eat people?" She asked quietly.

"I… I can drain the bio-energy from living things, which grants me power. The androids are strong, and I will need all the power I can get to defeat them and merge with them." Rowan frowned.

"I can give you power." She said simply. "I have been giving you power. You've noticed, surely. I know it's not as strong as it used to be, but it should still be something. Enough at least to stop you needing to eat people." Her look was stony, but sad. He frowned and thought about it for a moment.

"You do give me power. It isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but, thinking about it, it is still more or less the same power I would gain from hunting people all day long. That might be why I've been so willing to follow you." He said carefully. Her expression softened a little.

"Then, let's make a deal. You don't eat any one, and I'll sleep with you every night. I'll even show you how to make it a bit more potent so you get a bit more bang for your buck. And when you're finally happy you have enough power you can go catch your androids." Cell frowned and his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, more potent?"

"Well, sex is fantastic and all that, but if you can make me climax, before you do, the potency is a lot higher." Rowan said proudly. Cell felt a flush of colour rise to his cheeks and he looked down. He hadn't been expecting a stab of shame, but it was there none-the-less.

Rowan giggled as Cell blushed and looked uncomfortable at her statement.

"So, do we have a deal?" She asked with a grin. She held her hand out to him and he looked at it for a moment, considering it.

"I suppose. Although I will retaliate if I… if either of us, is attacked." He said, taking her hand in his own. It was strange, the sudden realization that he had given his word to not openly hunt down humans. But… He didn't need to now. Did he?

Cell walked alongside Rowan as they made their way through the forest. Cell had offered to fly them to the other side of the town in seconds, but Rowan had declined. She enjoyed the adventure, and simply arriving from one location to another without actually travelling, didn't feel like a journey. So he trudged along besides her, and then behind her as the brush became thicker. Rowan had high spirits and they two talked to pass the time as they travelled.

They came across a small river. The water looked clean, and Rowan filled up a large empty jug. She promised she would boil it when they made camp tonight, just to be safe, but at least it didn't look like it was contaminated.

Cell asked her questions about her past. She was surprisingly forth coming, despite everything. Her mother had died when she was young, so she didn't remember much about her. Her father had taken the death badly, and had turned to drinking. He became a horrible drunk and he was abusive and cruel to Rowan. When Rowan was 16, she stole her fathers' credit cards and bought herself a tiny capsule house, a bunch of food, clothes, tools and other supplies and had gone on the run. She had gone half way around the country before she found a small town she finally felt she could settle down in, Sumac City.

Her father never managed to track her down, but the fear of that made it hard for Rowan to really settle in, and so she became a bit of a loner. She got a job stacking shelves at a grocery store and life was tense, but she was happier than she had been before. And then the androids had attacked.

The next few years saw the population of Earth get cut in half, and then in half again. By the time Cell had emerged, the planet was ruined. People were few and far between. Those who survived, were smart, lucky and did whatever they had to, in order to survive.

Rowan was smart enough, and when her natural gift was discovered, she became an asset. She used this to give her security, food, shelter and whatever else she could get. She wasn't ashamed that she used her body so causally, she did what she needed to. Cell could appreciate that at least. She didn't really know if she wasn't human, but she suspected that her mother had been special. She had one photo of her family. She stopped and pulled it out to show Cell. Her mother was beautiful, very beautiful. Long silver hair, slightly pointed ears and teeth, brilliant grey eyes that shone with intelligence and compassion. Her father had dark brown hair, emerald green eyes and stubble. At the time of the photo, he had a big smile on his face and they looked happy.

Rowan pocketed the photo and the two continued on their trek. It was into the afternoon when they finally reached the road.

"Took longer than expected, but still, we made it!" Rowan said happily, bringing out her bike. Cell smiled at the chance to stretch out his legs, and he raced along besides Rowan. He watched her from the corner of his eye. Learning about her, just made him more attached to her. He frowned as he realized that. He was attached to her. He liked her. He frowned and turned his thoughts inwards at that fact.

Rowan's yell, and the sudden scream of rubber on road snapped him back to reality. A road block that had been hidden around a corner, revealed to be a clever trap. Cell snarled, angry at himself for loosing focus. He could have sensed this, but he had been distracted. Rowan managed to stop her bike, just short of full on crashing into the busses that blocked the road.

Heavily armed men, at least a dozen stood on top of them, each with their guns levelled at either Cell or Rowan.

"Woah, what the hell is that thing?" One of them asked loudly. All of them looked at Cell. He had stopped short, his tail flicking angrily as he stared up at them.

Two of the men jumped down and approached Rowan. She sighed and held her arms up in defeat.

"Come on guys, can't a girl go out for a ride in peace?" She asked meekly. The men snicked and motioned for her to get off. She did as they told her, one of the men inspecting the bike while the other kept his gun pointed at her.

"Nice bike!" One of them said.

"Thanks. I quite like it. I'd like to keep it." Rowan replied. The man with the gun pointed at her snickered.

"Sorry missy, but that's not gonna happen." Rowan frowned.

"What if I say please?" She asked desperately.

"Woah, easy there Roach man." Rowan looked over her shoulder at Cell. He looked angry, and had started to move towards her, but stopped. She knew he was worried about her safety, not his own. She turned back to the man pointing the gun at her.

"Hey, look, I know I'm not really your friend and stuff, but you should probably point the gun at him, not me. He's kind of nasty. I'm kind of not." The man laughed.

"You want me to shoot your freaky deaky buddy, instead of you?" Rowan nodded. "Wow, you're a bitch." She nodded again with a smile, but regardless, the man lowered his gun from Rowan.

"I'd really rather you guys didn't steal my stuff. You know, we could just move past without any fighting. Would be fantastic." Rowan said loudly, looking up at the people on the busses.

"Fighting? How are you planning on fighting? We have all the guns." One of the other men said. Rowan grinned up at him.

"I'm not doing any of the fighting. He is." She turned back to Cell and looked him dead in the eye. "Keep your promise, please." She said quietly, and firmly. He smirked then, his tail lashing against the road, leaving a huge crack.

"Woah dude, did you see that?" Rowan could see the slight tightening of Cells' muscles, and knew he was tapping his immense energy. She braced herself against the road, as Cell suddenly disappeared.

"Hey where'd he…."

"Nooo!" Rowan looked up, watching as one of the men went flying off the bus, sprawling on the ground. He groaned, not dead. There was gun fire at that point, and Rowan threw herself to the ground for cover. There was lots of yelling as Cell immobilized each of the men. Bullets didn't faze him as they bounced off harmlessly. The last man standing was the one near Rowan. Cell appeared suddenly in front of him, towering over the man. The man emptied his magazine at Cell, but Cell simply grinned, obviously having fun.

Rowan stood back up after the gun clicked. Cell uppercut the man, so fast, Rowan barely saw him move. Only saw the end result. Cell slowly pulled his fist back, as the man collapsed on the ground, clutching his belly. Cell stood back up and looked around.

"Are you sure I can't eat them?" He asked almost playfully. Rowan sighed and ignoring his question, checked her bike over once, before mounting it and weaving through the road block. Cell leapt effortlessly over the busses and caught up to Rowan as she sped off down the road.

Despite everything, Rowan had a giant smile on her face. She beamed at Cell as he ran along besides her.

"See Seru, adventure!" She yelled happily, before the happy mood was shattered, by her sudden cough. She slowed the bike and stopped it as she coughed, her whole body shaking violently. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve when she was done, frowning at the blood.

"That always ruins my day." She muttered. Cell frowned deeply at her, but she waved his concern off. "Let's just put some distance between those bandits and us, so we can find somewhere to camp for the night." She took off again with a screech of her tyres. Cell hesitated a moment, making sure he kept his senses up, before he followed her. He kept tabs on the bandits. They were moving now, heading down the road after them. He wondered if they were really that stupid, or if it was just coincidence.

Rowan stopped at a house on the side of the road. Cell urged her on. It was too dangerous, the bandits were on the move and this would be far too obvious. She agreed, and she turned off down a more secluded road. Cell didn't object at a different house far off the main road. This one had running water, but no hot water. After complaining about this fact, Cell instructed her to fill the bath anyway.

Rowan only watched in amazement as Cell heated the water using his energy. She enjoyed a blissful bath, regretting only that it was too small for him to join her. He crouched on the floor besides her, gently playing with her hair and she relaxed.

"This is delightful." She murmured. He mumbled agreement as he gently ran his clawed fingers through her hair. She moaned gently, and he felt himself tighten at the sound. She rolled her head to the side, watching him carefully.

"Rowan…" He began softly. "I can… I can fix you." He said after a while. He looked her in the eye, realized she was studying him intently. Her face was solemn.

"No." She said softly after a while. It was spoken lightly, but it was spoken with finality as well.

"Why not?" He protested.

"Everyone dies Seru. I've accepted my death. It's not ideal, but that's part of life." He frowned at her simple answer.

"I don't accept that. I can make your body strong again."

"So you can get the full benefit of me?" She asked bitterly. He frowned at that.

"No… I just don't want you to die." He said quietly, letting her hair go. She turned her face away from him, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's going to happen eventually. Even you'll die one day." This earned a snort from Cell.

"Not for a very long time." She grinned.

"Maybe not, but eventually. No, Seru, it is truly sweet of you to offer, but no."

Rowan chose to end her bath at this point and she stepped out of the bath. Cell stood up and took her into his arms suddenly, kissing her with a hungry passion. He realized, it wasn't sexual this time, but that he needed the comfort. Rowan broke the kiss, stroking his cheek softly.

"You smell." She said softly. His face fell flat and he frowned. He let her go and turned to the bath tub. It was far too small for him to sit in it with any degree of comfort. Eventually he settled on kneeling in the water which sloshed around his waist. His tail twitched in annoyance, but stilled as Rowan's light hands stroked the flesh across the back of his neck. He watched her intently over his shoulder as she used a bowl to scoop the water and poured it gently down his back.

Water splashed all over the floor as it ran down his wings, but they both ignored it. Cell was surprised at how much he enjoyed having her delicately wash him, using a small wash towel and some soap. She was quite thorough, and it took quite a while, enjoying the sudden intake of breath as she cleaned the tip of his tail. She felt his body tense up at her gentle touch, and it made her giggle.

Finally she was satisfied his back was clean, and she stepped out and around, sitting on the edge of the bath in front of him instead. He watched her face intently as she grinned at him, before getting to work on his head which forced him to look down. As the water ran down him, washing away the soap, he looked back up at her, and felt his body tense and his hunger rise. She had a soft smile and her face was full of focus as she gently washed his face.

He couldn't stop himself, closing the small distance between them, and taking her in his arms, kissing her hungrily. She gave a small yelp of surprise at the sudden movement, but her arms wrapped around his neck and she deepened his hungry kiss. He wanted her, there and then and he broke the kiss, looking her in the eyes for just a moment, before he suddenly scooped her up in his arms as if she was nothing.

He was concerned, for just a moment, at how light she was, but it was pushed from his mind as she nibbled on the sensitive flesh of his neck. He inhaled sharply, relishing her natural scent, taking her to the bed where he laid her down. He eased his weight down beside her, kissing her hungrily as his hand explored the warmth of her body.

His hand gently teased a nipple, loving how it hardened under his touch. She moaned into his mouth, and it only made him want her more. He moved his hand lower, across her belly, gently tracing the contours of her body. Her hand found his suddenly, and he broke the kiss, studying her face.

"Let me show you…" She whispered, using her hand to guide his down to the soft and warm mound of flesh between her legs. Her hand guided his as he explored her body, discovering how to please her. He felt her body trembling under his, and it made him ache. He lowered his head to her neck as she rolled her head to the side, groaning. He buried his head in the nape of her neck, her scent growing stronger with every passing moment. His own pressure was mounting purely from the anticipation, and he relished the control he had over her. He learnt a great deal about her body in that moment, and it gave him immense pleasure to learn just how much power he had in that moment, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her back arching against his hand and groaning.

He groaned against the skin of her neck as her nails bit at his flesh, her body trembling as she cried out.

"Stop!" She gasped. He did, bringing his fingers to his mouth, relishing her taste. She laughed at that, bringing his face down to hers and kissing him hungrily, tasting herself. She pulled his body onto hers, and he slid inside of her welcoming body, loving the warmth and tightness of her. Her smell was potent, and he knew she was close, so very close.

"Hard…" She whispered in his ear, pulling him into a hungry, needy kiss. He obliged, thrusting himself forcefully inside her. She moaned into his mouth, her legs wrapping around his waist, sliding him in even deeper. He thrust into her harder and faster than he had ever before, and every thrust caused her to cry out, until she suddenly tightened around him, her body trembling under his.

Her smell was intensely powerful and it had an extra spice to it as she climaxed. Her intense smell, her trembling, tightening body and her clawing hands were far too much for him, and he groaned as he peaked, losing all control over himself again. He rested his head against her shoulder, breathing heavily.

The changes in his body were like a domino effect. Something was different as his energy didn't just increase, but… became more concentrated. He couldn't explain it, but he felt truly alive at that moment, invigorated and incredibly powerful, but weak as a kitten and completely vulnerable.

He rolled off of her after a moment, onto his side. He was still reeling from the intensity of his own climax which had been more potent than any other, letting her snuggle against his chest.

His fingers absently played with her hair, rolling the strands in between his fingers as she fell asleep in his embrace. He frowned as he realized just how much he enjoyed Rowan's company. He watched her sleep, saw her side rise and fall steadily, but he could also hear the faint gargle of her lungs. It made his own chest tighten and he frowned. He was a realist, and he knew she would be dead soon. The thought of not having her around had a very heavy reaction, and for the first time in Cells' life… He was truly sad. He had been infuriated, enraged, annoyed and even lost when he realized the androids were gone, but the pain he felt now, was worse than even that. He closed his eyes, trying to shut it out, but as she sighed against him he felt all her ribs.

Cell hugged her tighter to him then, not wanting to let her go, and in his own mind, he realized, he didn't just want to keep Rowan around for the incredible gift she had… She was his, she accepted him for who he was, enjoyed his company, and was willing to share herself with him…

'I love her.' He admitted to himself, surprised at how comforting that admission actually was. He allowed himself a small smile, which disappeared quickly. She snuggled even closer against his body, her face pressed against his chest. He needed her again in that moment, not for the power, but for the comfort, and his own body surprised him.

He kissed her neck then, and she groaned, but woke, her eyes opening softly. He kissed her mouth, gently, and without any words being spoken, he rolled on top of her, easing himself back inside.

He made love to her then. It was over quickly, his need driving him, but it was gentle, and intimate.

Rowan woke first, feeling incredibly content. She was still entangled in Cell's arms, his beaked face buried in her hair, his chest pressed against her back. He was deeply asleep, his tail draped over their legs. She wanted to stay here, warm and safe in Cells' embrace, but her bladder protested and with a reluctant sigh, slowly, and carefully eased herself out of his arms. He moaned in protest, but did not wake.

She relieved herself and had a cold shower, which woke her completely. By the time she had dressed, eaten breakfast and repacked all the supplies, refuelled the bike and even enjoyed an early morning stretch, Cell finally emerged. She studied his form as he leant against the side of the house, watching her closely. He was different, his face looked more resolute, but solemn. His eyes were clouded with concern.

"Good morning." She said, covering her own concern with chirpy enthusiasm. He smiled at this, breaking the strange mood that had shadowed him.

"Good morning." He closed the distance between them, walking upright, like a man, instead of his usual predatory stoop. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly then, and she was all too happy to reciprocate.

"Slept well, I take it." She said, not asking, but saying it with a playful grin. He nuzzled her neck then, amazed at his own insatiable appetite. She hugged him, loving the warmth of his body against her own.

"Come on Seru… I actually want to get some travelling done today." She whispered as he gently ran his leathery lips over the flesh of her clavicle. Reluctantly, he let her go, watching as she mounted her bike, the engine roaring into life at her touch. The smile she gave him then was sultry and full of her own desire, before the bike skidded into a sudden acceleration, roaring down the road. Cell snickered. His wings twitched as they opened, and he burst off, leaving a crater in the ground.

Cell slipped into the tree line, his speckled green armour hiding him perfectly, as Rowan slowed down for another approaching vehicle. It was a bike, not much different from her own. A man and a young girl dismounted. After the formalities, they began to talk, discussing the roads and casually suggesting trades. Cell used the time to expand his senses, scanning the area. He could sense a large city, with a considerable number of people a good days' ride to the north. This surprised him slightly, and he focused his attention on it, trying to learn what he could.

The sudden gasping cough from Rowan snapped his attention back. The man and the girl backed away from her as she doubled over. The fit lasted a while, until Rowan finally recovered, wiping the blood from her mouth and turning back to the man.

"Sorry about that." She said, covering her obvious pain with a smile.

"Dust poisoning." The man said with a grim expression. Rowan nodded, and tried to gloss over it. The stone cold look in the mans' eyes was concerning.

"So you said you had a radio. What did you want…" Rowan never got a chance to finish her sentence. The man moved fast, and Cell hadn't been expecting his sudden, savage attack. Rowan grunted as he punched her square in the chest. Blood erupted from her mouth as she fell to her knees on the ground. Cell felt his rage boil, and he burst from the tree line with a sudden blood curdling roar, his aura burning brilliant gold around him. The last thing the man ever saw, was the truly terrifying monster that Cell was.

Cell's attack was more primal than that of a seasoned warrior. His power ripped the mans' head from his torso as if it was nothing, splattering the girl with blood. She finally found her voice, and screamed. Cell turned on her, his rage blinding, but he couldn't stop himself, even when Rowan leaped between them.

In his own rage, he struck Rowan, backhanding her out of the way, and sending her flying. She landed in a crumpled head on the road, and was still. Cells' fury vanished in an instant, and he realized what he had done.

The young girl, still screaming, turned and ran into the tree line. Cell was frozen, stunned by his own actions, staring at the still form of Rowan. It was an eternity, before he regained control over his own body, and he rushed to her side.

"Rowan…" He pleaded, surprised at the desperation in his own voice. She was face down on the ground and gently he rolled her over. Blood smeared the left side of her face, and Cell felt his heart sink. He lowered his head to her chest, listened to her heart beat and breathed a tiny sigh of relief. She was not dead. He scooped her up gently in his arms, his wings opening as he erupted into the air.

He landed at a nearby house, where he rushed her inside, and eased her onto the first bed he could find, grabbing a bowl of water, heating it, and quickly set about cleaning the blood from the wound so he could take a better look at it.

It was already clotting and this made him feel relief, if only for a moment. A dark bruise was forming across her cheek where he had struck her, and the guilt he felt was a heavy weight. His search of the house revealed it to have been mostly cleaned out, and with a great deal of annoyance, he left the house, roaring back to the road. The girl had returned and was inspecting Rowans' bike. As Cell landed, she screamed and fled again. Cell ignored the other bike that was still parked down the road, and rummaged through the bag on the side of the bike, finding one of the med kits he knew she kept stashed there. He capsuled her bike and blasted back off towards where Rowan was.

It was dusk when Rowan finally stirred. She had a splitting headache and the left side of her face was in agony. It took a few moments for her to remember what happened. Cell was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her. She reached out for him, but stopped short, as the movement brought on a violent coughing fit. Cell turned to watch her, his face dark with a cruel and twisted bitterness.

Rowan was in bad shape. The mans' attack had worsened her chest greatly. Cell's attack had split her head and given her a nasty bruise and a sore shoulder, but it was her chest that hurt the most. When she finally stopped coughing, Cell handed her a glass of water and her inhaler. She gratefully used the inhaler and downed the water.

Normally the medication eased the pain, but it did nothing. Rowan felt grim as she realized there was no relief. The pain in her chest was terrible, and she couldn't get a full breath of air. She eased herself back onto the bed and sighed.

"Rowan, I…" Rowan touched Cell's arm, silencing him. She smiled.

"It's okay Seru. You don't have to apologise. I know you didn't mean it." She kept her hand on his arm, gently squeezing him for reassurance. Her voice was rasped and she could hear the gargle as she breathed.

"Let me fix you, please." He begged his eyes full of concern. She frowned and looked away from him then, her hand dropping. She sighed after a while and patted the bed next to her. The bed groaned in protest as Cell lay down beside her. She stroked the V shaped crest on his head sadly.

"I want you to go, Seru." She said quietly, after a long while. He propped himself up, looking into her face with a dark expression.

"I'm not leaving you. Not like this." He stated.

"I'm dying. I won't last another day, you know that." The fact that it had been said with such simple finality struck Cell and he felt his throat tighten.

"Rowan…" She guided his face down to hers, and she kissed him, a soft kiss, gentle and tender. "I'm not going." He said quietly with sincerity. Rowan nodded gently and closed her eyes. She hurt badly. She could feel her broken lungs struggling for even a small breath of air, and everything ached. 'Dying sucks.' She thought to herself.

"Cell… Thank you. For everything." She whispered quietly as she relaxed. Cell could only frown, noting that she had used his real name.

Cell watched as she eased into a sleep again, and he curled himself up in a ball besides her, his face close to hers, watching her. He felt miserable, his own guilt crushing him like an immense weight.

She slept for a few hours, but Cell didn't move from her side, watching the rise and fall of her chest and listening to her struggle to breathe.

She awoke to another violent coughing fit, and Cell could do nothing but watch. Finally, she reached out for her med pack, prepared the inhaler. There were still a few vials of the stuff left and she held them in her hand. She looked at Cell sadly.

"In the bag, on my bike, there is a book. I'd really appreciate it if you could go get it for me." She said. He nodded and slipped from the room. Rowan didn't hesitate, and unscrewed the vials, downing each one without bothering with the inhaler.

Cell popped open the bike, and rummaged through the bags. He saw no book. He checked again and frowned. He checked the compartment under the seat and when that too, revealed no book he frowned. His senses suddenly screamed and he whirled back into the house.

It was too late. She looked as if she was peacefully asleep, a small smile on her face, but there was no golden light of energy in her body. Cell saw the empty vials of the potent medicine and he felt his heart ache. He always considered the notion of a broken heart to be just a silly human saying, but in that moment, he truly felt like one could die from it.

The absolute despair that gripped Cell was a dark thing indeed. He lay by Rowans' body for a long while, watching as her soft warm skin turned rigid and pale. He couldn't begin to make sense of the broken world inside his own head, and could only stare, feeling cold, dark and utterly alone.

No androids, no Rowan, no purpose…

It was two days later, the weather was dark and ominous, threatening to rain, but not yet doing so. Cell was standing to his full impressive height, looming over the small mound of dirt. It had been one of the hardest things that Cell had ever done, burying Rowan. But he had done it. He had even buried an apple with her; in the hopes it would grow into a tree to honour her. It had seemed fitting at the time.

His entire body had turned cold, no longer burning with the fire of life, but instead, resolute and stony. He felt his hunger to feed growing within him again. His attention had been continuously drawn back to the city that he could sense, full of people who were trying to rebuild now the androids were gone. People who did not deserve to live.

"I am sorry Rowan." He rasped his voice hollow and empty. After a long time, the wind turned chilly and the rain began to fall. It was a heavy, cold and biting rain, although it did nothing to faze the resolute tyrant. Finally, he turned away from her grave and disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

The next few days, the world learnt that the horror of the androids was not over. The androids destroyed cities for the fun of it, but Cell was a methodical, vicious predator, and he stalked people relentlessly. There was nowhere safe to hide. There was nowhere safe to run. Cell was a monster. And the dark depression that consumed him only made his insatiable hunger all the more potent.

By pure chance, he happened upon the re-built Capsule Corp where Bulma and Trunks now lived. Cell stalked them, watching from the shadows.

"I think things are finally starting to get back to normal, now you've defeated the androids." Bulma said conversationally as she unhooked a fuel pipe from a strange machine. Trunks helped her, rolling up the tubes and hanging them on a hook on the side of a huge fuel tank.

"Yeah, it feels real good, knowing our timeline has a future again." Trunks replied. Cell cocked his head, curious as to what he had meant, but remained hidden, supressing his energy to the absolute minimum as to not alert the half-Sayain warrior.

"Alright, just let me give everything a double check, and I think it should be all set and ready for you." Bulma climbed up a small step ladder, opening up the tiny cockpit of the machine. She fiddled around with the control panel before, satisfied she clambered down.

"I am looking forward to seeing father again." Trunks said with a slight hint of colour to his cheeks. Cell's lips curled back at this. Vegeta was dead, killed by the androids years ago.

"Just remember to be patient with him sweetheart." Bulma said, giving Trunks a quick hug. "Alright Hun, the time is set, and everything is ready for you to go back in time. I bet the others will be thrilled to hear how you managed to stop the androids."

"Thanks Mom." Trunks said hurriedly returning the hug.

Cell's eyes widened with the sudden realization of what he was witnessing. The sheer luck of it. Was it even possible? Had the genius woman actually built a time machine? He wasn't willing to let this chance slide by, and moved quickly and quietly. Trunks and Bulma wheeled the time machine out of the open roller door and into the open air.

With Trunks' back to him, Cell attacked. Bulma screamed, but Trunks never stood a chance. Cell's sneak attack was brutal, his needle tip slamming Trunks' back with enough force it pierced through his chest. Cell eased it back inside the body and within a heartbeat, Trunks was gone. Bulma screamed, horrified, but Cell didn't waste time, stabbing her in the throat, and sucking her dry as well.

There was a problem with the time machine, Cell realized. It was tiny. A small machine designed for a small man with little room to move. Cell tried to squeeze into it, but he couldn't risk destroying the delicate console on the dashboard. There was, he realized with a burning flush of anger, no way he could fit into the time machine.

But… if this worked, his androids would be alive in the past. He could still achieve his terrible purpose… He could still… be complete.

Cell was a truly terrifying creature in that moment, as he considered the options. There was nothing left in this world for him. Nothing. He spared only a moment's thought for Rowan, lying forever buried under the ground, with the apple. His mind was made, and he activated the timer on the machine.

Regressing from his matured form, backwards, shrinking into his larval form, and becoming cocooned in the strange pink stasis shell, was a horrible feeling. It was like being born in reverse, and it disgusted Cell. But he had no choice. He could almost taste the androids and it made him quiver with anticipation. His arms and legs shrunk, becoming tiny and stubby. His spine shifted, becoming more compressed. His wings and tail shrivelled, until his tail was non-existent and his wings were little more than stubs on his shoulders. He even felt his manhood shrivel and suck back up inside his body.

His body became cocooned and he never saw the machine activate. He felt the rumble and the sudden strange lurch that made his head swim, but it ended quickly, and the machine landed with a tremble. Cell's monstrous energy had become concentrated and sealed away within his core. It left him feeling weak and pathetic, as his tiny body struggled to crack the cocoon.

Finally, without a loud and satisfying crack, the rigid casing cracked and split open. Cell was tiny, barely the size of a small dog. He felt clumsy in this old body of his, but as he looked out on the world outside the machine, he realized, it was worth it. His senses were still as acute as ever, and he could feel the brilliant concentrations of life energy in the untouched cities, towns and villages. Yes, this world was ripe for the harvest, and somewhere, out there, his androids were waiting.

Cell managed a weak energy blast, just barely enough to rip open a hole in the canopy of the cockpit. It was a struggle for Cell to crawl out, and he grunted as he rolled down and off the machine onto the floor.

He was weak, vulnerable and exposed in this form. He considered his options; he knew it would take time, a lot of time, for his body to re-mature. Time he did not want to waste, but knew he had no choice. His initial, primitive instinct was to bury himself under ground and absorb nutrients from the world in his larval state until it was ready to evolve. The instinct was strong enough, that he even began to scratch at the dirt.

But something stopped him, a thought. A realization. It was a powerful thing, and it made him freeze. He closed his eyes and focused on his senses, sending them out, wider, and wider. He got a feel for where he was the location he had arrived within the world. It took him a while to focus his mind enough to filter out the mass of information his senses were relaying. He used his keen knowledge of geography, thanks to the computer that had created him, to eventually pin point the location he wanted. It would take him a few days to walk there. He did not have the control he needed over his energy to fly. And he didn't have the energy to spare for such a waste. No, he would have to walk.

Was it a good idea though? He clicked his beak, a strange sound to his ears. He tried to talk, realized he couldn't. He didn't have developed vocal chords in this form. A small set back, he decided. It took him quite a while to reach his decision. There was no guarantee and he had his doubts, but he began to walk, at a surprisingly brisk pace for such a poorly equipped body.

For the first time, since Rowans' death, Cell felt… hopeful. He had been given a second chance. A new start, a fresh perspective… He wasn't going to waste it. He would have his androids. He would become complete. And… Rowan would still be alive in this time line. Alive, young and healthy.