Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHIING. Any resemblance to existing stories is unintended.
"Izzie, stop!" Julie cried as she tried vainly to pry the woman's hands off Willie's throat, her grip was like an iron vice.
Willie didn't fight back, even as she choked the life out of him; it just wasn't in his nature.
"I need some help in here!" Julie yelled as she continued to struggle with Izzie, but her grip was unrelenting. Robert and Elias came running and with a collective effort, they managed to pry the enraged woman's hands from Willie's throat.
Willie scrambled to his knees, gasping and sputtering as he took in huge gulps of air.
"Willie! Are you alright?" Julie asked as she took hold of his arm and helped him up.
"Yes … I am fine … I think. Did I do something wrong?" He asked hoarsely, rubbing his throat as he eyed the still seething woman with trepidation.
"Yeah … you're doing something wrong alright … by breathing! You filthy reptilian bastard!" Izzie said as she bucked fought like a wild animal against Robert and Elias, who only just were able to keep their hold on her.
"Izzie … listen to me … back when this all started, I would've agreed with you. But some of the Visitors disagreed with their leader's plans as much as we did … they wanted an arrangement where we lived together in peace and shared the resources earth has to offer. Willie is one of those few, and he has been instrumental in helping us develop the red dust toxin. We literally couldn't have done it without him." Julie explained. Just then Ham, Sancho and Mike burst in with guns drawn, startling everyone.
"What the hell's going on in here?! We heard a commotion." Ham said as he surveyed the scene.
"Sister here just went all ape shit on Willie." Elias replied.
"Oh … is that all?" Ham said casually as he holstered his weapon.
"Come off it, man, she about strangled him to death! Took three of us to pull her off!" Elias exclaimed.
"She sounds like my kind of girl, why'd you stop her?" Ham said, his tone was a little too serious for Mike's liking.
"Ham … we've been through this a hundred times! Willie, Martin and the others who went against their own people and risked everything to help us are our friends! We will protect and help them the same as we would any of our human comrades." Mike said tersely.
"That's always been your problem, Donovan, you're too soft. I know this is your circus and all, but a few good deeds don't change the color of a lizard's blood in my book. If it was up to me, they'd all be exterminated like the vermin they are." Ham said.
"Well, good thing it's not up to you." Mike said as the two men squared off.
"Okay … I think everyone needs to go to their respective corners for the rest of the day. Robert, Elias, take Izzie back to her sleeping quarters. Ham, I am sure you can find something else useful to do." Julie said as she got between them.
Ham and Mike shared one last searing look before they parted ways.
"Mike, what are we going to do about her?" Julie asked once the others were gone.
Mike blew out a sigh. "I don't know, she's a wildlife biologist, we could really use her, but if she can't learn to get along with our Visitor allies, than she might end up doing us more harm than good. For now, let's keep her away from Willie and the others unless someone is there to supervise." He replied.
"Hey, I didn't see you at dinner and I wanted make sure you got something before everything was gone." Robin said as she sat a tray of food on Izzie's bed next to her.
"I heard what happened in the lab today." Robin said. "And I want you do know that I know how you feel." She added when Izzie remained silent.
"You've met my daughter, Elizabeth, right? Did you know she's half alien?" Upon hearing this information, Izzie's gaze snapped up to meet Robin's.
Robin nodded resolutely at her horrified, disbelieving expression. "Yeah, that's about how I felt too when I learned what they really looked like, what they were. But I also learned that not all the Visitors were bad, when I was in my third trimester they brought Willie in as a prisoner with the intent of using him as a guinea pig to experiment on. I was having lots of complications, and Willie helped me through it, he even assisted in the birth, and did everything he could to save Elizabeth's fraternal twin brother. He didn't have to help me, but he did anyway; he also risked his life to save Caleb. There was an accident at the chemical plant they were working at, you'll have to ask Caleb more about it." She said as she stood and walked to the door.
"No one is saying you have to be best friends with the guy, all we're asking is that you give him a chance and you know … not try to choke the life out of him." She said, her tone light as she offered Izzie a small smile.
Izzie smiled embarrassingly. "I'm sorry I acted like such a bitch." She said.
"No worries, tomorrow is a new day." Robin replied, giving Izzie's shoulder a friendly squeeze before leaving her to her thoughts.
"Amazing! I would have never thought of using the plant R gene in conjunction with the antidote, now we'll be able to give the antidote as an injection that should be permanent or at least only administered once a year! Julie said excitedly as she peered through the microscope.
"In theory, yes." Izzie replied.
"I only wish I'd thought of this sooner, the current form of the antidote has to be taken once a day and has uncomfortable side effects. What gave you the idea?" Julie quipped.
"Well, in college I dabbled in Herbalism and botany before I finally settled on wildlife biology as a major. I remembered how certain plants we studied were particularly resistant to fungal infestation and airborne toxins, that's what gave me the idea." Izzie explained.
Just then, Willie walked in with a tray of food for their reptile specimens.
"Oh … I am sorry … it was feeding time for them … but I come back later." He said as he caught sight of Izzie and backed out of the lab, guilt nagged at her as she noticed the tray he was holding was shaking slightly.
"Willie … wait." Izzie said as she caught up to him in the hallway.
"Look … I'm sorry for what I did to you, it's just … the Visitors killed my family and executed almost all of my friends and when I saw you, I just snapped. I know that's a shitty excuse for what I did, and I am sorry." She said as she concentrated her gaze on the floor between them.
Willie felt a pang of empathy for the human and he offered her a friendly smile.
"I know how you feel, they kill a lot of my friends … the girl I loved … they killed her too." Willie said sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Izzie replied.
Willie's expression became forlorn as he became lost in thought.
"She was the first human here that was ever nice to me, she never judge me, she stood up for me." He said sadly.
"It sounds like you loved her a lot." Izzie replied.
"Yes … I did." He said.
Well … let's start over, hi, Doctor I'm Isobel Bradford, Izzie for short." She said as she held out her hand.
"My name is Willie … it is a nice to meet you … again." He said as he offered a shy smile.
"Everything okay out here?" Julie said as she joined them.
"Yeah, we're good." Izzie said as she walked back into the lab.
"Yes … everything is ok now." Willie said when Julie looked to him for confirmation.
"Good." Julie said with a satisfied smile.
"Willie, are you sure you want to do this? We aren't able to test the vaccine on animals, there is no way of knowing it will work or not and what the side effects might be." Julie said.
After months of testing and tweaking, Julie and Izzie finally had made a breakthrough with the vaccine; the only problem is none of their earthborn animal specimens were suitable to test it on.
"Willie, you don't have to do this if you don't want to." Izzie said worriedly.
Willie and Izzie had become close friends over the few months they had worked together on developing the vaccine; Julie had her suspicions that there were stronger feelings at play between the two of them, but she had decided that to keep that to herself.
"It is … ok, Izzie. I trust you … and Julie." He replied with a reassuring smile.
"Okay … here goes nothing …" Julie said as she administered the vaccine, they waited, nothing happened.
"How do you feel?" Izzie asked, her face lined with concern.
"I feel … fine." Willie said.
Julie and Izzie high fived each other as Julie picked up her radio.
"Mike, send for the rest of our Visitor friends, I think we've made a breakthrough." She said excitedly.
Progress reports from their visitor friends painted a positive picture for their newly developed vaccine, only mild side effects were reported and only in a few individuals.
"Thank you both, without you two we never could have done it." Julie said to Willie and Izzie.
"I was happy to help." Willie said with a bashful smile as he excused himself.
"Izzie, can I talk to you for a moment?" Julie said.
"Sure, what's up?" Izzie replied.
"It's about …you. I am sorry but I have to ask you did they … do something to you?"
Izzie blew out a breath; she knew this would come up eventually, so she might as well just get it out of the way.
"When they raided my neighborhood they took about twenty of us, I don't know how or why they chose us, but they … did things to us." Izzie said as she rubbed her arms in response to the memory.
Julie's mind raced as she thought back to how it was almost impossible to pry Izzie's hands off Willie's throat.
"Izzie … what did they do to you, can you remember?" Julie asked in earnest.
"No, I just remember this horrible woman … or what looked like a woman coming in, and then the next thing I remember I was waking up and being back in the room they kept me in." Izzie said.
"Do you feel any different?" Julie pressed.
"No … why? Do you think they did something to me?" Izzie asked, Julie opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, unsure of how to phrase it.
"Julie, if you think they did something to me, please tell me; from one scientist to another." Izzie said, her expression pleading.
"Izzie, that day when you attacked Willie, it took four grown men to pull you off and even then it was almost impossible. I think whatever they did to you gave you superhuman strength … what I want to learn is what else it give you." Julie said, choosing her words carefully.
"So … you're basically saying that you want to experiment on me, right?" Izzie replied, her tone and expression indiscernible.
"Er … yes." Julie replied awkwardly.
"Okay then … let's do it." Izzie replied.
Julie was mildly surprised, she hadn't expected her to agree so quickly and to be so casual about it.
"Hey … I'm a scientist, remember? This'll be just another experiment." Izzie said with a grin as she gestured to herself
"I can't believe what I'm hearing; you're actually going to let her STAY here, what if she was converted! She could be a sleeper agent for them!" Ham argued.
"He got a point there." Elias interjected.
"There's no evidence she was, she still uses her right hand! And so what if she was? They tried to convert me, and they almost succeeded … but I'm still here." Julie argued back.
"Yeah … if you remember rightly, I had some reservations about that too, reservations your boyfriend here refused to listen to." Ham said as he eyed Mike heatedly.
"You got something to say to me, Ham?" Mike spat.
"As a matter of fact, I do, Donovan. You're blindness to the truth about these two women here is going to put us all at risk!" Ham countered.
"Excuse me, but I would appreciate it if you would talk AT us, not ABOUT us as if we weren't standing right here, able to hear every fucking thing you say." Izzie interjected.
"Fine … I think the whole lot of you are crazy lizard sympathizers! Especially you." Ham said as he gestured to Izzie.
"They took everything away from you; they killed your family and ruined your life, and still you … make friends with them … you protect them!" Ham continued.
"Ham, that's enough!" Mike said as he took hold of his arm, but Ham, close to losing his temper jerked out of Mike's grasp as he walked up to Izzie.
"In fact, if I'd almost be willing to go as far to say that you're … sweet on this slimy no good, bottom feeding ingrate." He said.
Everyone was suddenly looking at both of them, Willie included, Izzie tried to put on a brave façade, but the traitorous blush creeping up her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
"So … so what if I am? What business is it of yours?" She countered.
"I wonder if you would still feel that way if you saw what they really looked like? I've seen it, you know, Mike has too, and trust me, it ain't pretty. Why do you think all their infernal Visitor friends wear their pseudo skins? Because they know how humans, their friends included would react if they saw what they really looked like." He said with a bitter smirk.
"Well … you know the old saying about beauty only being skin deep, and from where I'm standing, you and your attitude are both looking pretty god damn ugly to me right now." Izzie replied dryly, Elias snorted in response, Robert and Mike had to bite back a grin.
"Well, why don't we find out if you can really put it aside?" he said as he took a step toward Willie, who shrank back in fear.
"Please … don't …!" he pleaded, fear in his face.
"What's the matter? Afraid your human friends aren't gonna like you anymore after they see what you really look like?" Ham said as he continued to advance on Willie like a cat stalking a mouse, backing him against the wall.
"Hey! … leave him alone!" Izzie said as she grabbed Ham's arm and made to yank him back, but ended up throwing him back against the opposite wall with her surprising strength.
"Damn, girl! That's quite an arm you got on ya!" Elias drawled.
"If you know what's good for you, you'd leave this lady and her friends alone, Ham." Mike quipped through his laughter as Ham struggled shakily to his feet.
"It's his choice whether or not he wants to show his real face to us, we have no right to force him!" Julie interjected.
"You're all a bunch of bleeding hearts … and it's gonna get ya killed." Ham said as he stormed out.
Izzie turned to Willie, her expression lined with worry.
"You okay?"
"I am now … thanks to you." He said as they shared a smile.
Mike, Julie and Elias exchanged knowing grins as they all dispersed for dinner.
"Izzie, you have been so quiet since earlier." Willie's broken English brought Izzie's mind back to reality, her cheeks reddened as she concentrated her gaze on the half eaten plate of dinner in front of her as they sat atop the water tower alone, eating.
"I'm sorry … I was just … thinking about what happened earlier today." She said without meeting his eyes.
"You want to know what I really look like, yes?" He offered.
Izzie laughed in spite of herself. "Is it really that obvious?"
Willie smiled bashfully at her. "Yes." He replied.
"Are you all really … what they say you are? Lizards?" Izzie asked.
"Well … yes …" Willie trailed off.
"Show me." Izzie almost demanded as she stood, setting her forgotten food aside.
"But …" Willie trailed off.
"Here … I'll go first." She said as she removed the homemade patch covering her eye, an expression of shock washed over Willie. Where a normal, human eye should have been was a red, reptilian one like his, surrounded by a patch of green scales.
'It can't be any worse than this, right?" she said as she offered a sad smile.
Willie stepped closer to her "Diana … did this to you?" he said as he gently ran his thumb over the scaly skin around her eye.
"Yeah … I mean I guess … she was the one heading up the science department or whatever they called it." Izzie replied.
"I hate her for this, I wish I could kill her for what she's done!" Willie said, his eyes suddenly ablaze.
"You and me both." Izzie agreed sadly.
"I was one of the lucky ones, I overheard her talking one day outside where they kept us. She was saying something about me and a few other people being the only ones whose bodies were strong enough to withstand the experiments." She added.
"How did you … escape?" Willie asked as she put her patch back over her ruined eye.
"When you guys stormed the place to rescue Julie after they moved all the prisoners to their earth headquarters… me and the others escaped in the commotion." Izzie replied.
Willie suddenly reached up and began removing his pseudo skin.
"Willie no! I'm sorry for trying to force, you, you don't have to show me if you don't want to." She said as she stepped closer to him.
"No … it's … okay … I want to." He said as he reached up by where his ear would be and tore his pseudo skin off, hair and all.
"Oh my god!" Izzie gasped as her hands flew to her mouth.
Notes: yeah … I know … I'm evil for leaving it there, but it was much too long already, LOL. I am also so very sorry for taking so long to update this, I have been super busy with my job, life, and dog shows.