Chapter 2:

Only Half

(14 years later)

I'm not like the other Earth girls. To tell the truth, I'm nothing like them. Yea, I'm the usual height, about 5' 4", and I've got curves and a human anatomy just like they do. Sure I eat, I sleep, I dream. I've grown up around them all my life so I believe in the same things. And most importantly, I fear the Tallest.

But those are the only similarities.

When I asked Uncle Dib about it, he simply said I was special. I was just a child when I asked, so what else could he say? But I had seen others who looked like me. And Uncle Dib feared them. I had their same pale green skin, the antennae, and my right eye was just like theirs. However my left eye was like a human's. It was so weird looking in the mirror, seeing my strange reflection stare back at me.

Naturally, since I had grown up with human girls, I wanted to fit in. And because of my appearance, I had never thought of myself as pretty. I mean come on, I've got two entirely different eyes for goodness sake. I'm a teenage girl; can you really expect me to NOT be concerned about how I looked? I didn't have any friends, mostly because no one wanted to be around the "freak show," and naturally boys stayed away from me. The only thing that they ever did when I was around was give me a strange revolted look.

Yea, I don't think I'm very pretty. Uncle Dib says I'm beautiful, but he's my uncle, he's SUPPOSED to say that. So I usually spend my time alone, or in the garage working on my project.

And yes, I'm a tech geek.

Uncle Dib says I get it from my father, my knowledge of machines and combat. Sometimes I'm proud of it, like when I'm working on my project and everything runs smoothly. Other times I hate it, like when other kids give me that strange look when they see me covered in oil and dirt holding a wrench.

Sometimes it just feels like I'm doomed to be split in two halves. Half of me is proud and loves everything I do just the way I do it. The other half takes one look at me and says, "what is wrong me?" And it was driving me crazy! I didn't like being forced to live such a double life. I didn't like not knowing WHY I looked the way I did. When I asked Uncle Dib, he said I'd learn when I was older.

Well I'm 17 now so I freaking hope he's happy.

I didn't think I'd ever learn what was wrong with me. It felt like there wasn't anything right with me. I was a freak.

Only half…

Then one day, Uncle Dib called me back into the house. I had been in the garage, working on my project. He told me to get into my special room and stay there. I did as I was told. I ha learned by now that the "special room" was for my protection. But if I put my ear against the door, I could always here what was going on downstairs. And I was only ever told to go to the special room on specific occasions.

The Tallest was coming.

It had been years since his last visit. He came only when he needed to. I have only seen him once in my life, when I was a child. But I barely remembered. But I knew his voice well. It carried up to my room to my sensitive antennae. So naturally I felt a little scared when Uncle Dib told me to get into my room. I had barely closed the door when I heard the front door burst open and he stomped in.

"Hello Dib-Stink…" his voice taunted, the menacing hatred boiling in his words.

"My Tallest. Please come this way…" Uncle Dib would be gesturing to the basement door where he kept his personal lab.

"I'm not here for the fuel today Dib, although Hatchet will take it back to the ship…"

"But… if the fuel isn't the main reason you're here… then…" stuttered, his voice trembling scared.

"I believe we made a deal, Dib. I would hope your worthless brain would be able to remember back 14 years ago…" hissed annoyed.

"But… but we agreed when she was 18! Please you can't take her know, she's not ready!" desperately pleading. He would be on his knees, begging up at him.

"What difference does it make in a year? She'll be exactly the same and you'll beg for more time. I'm losing my patience with you Dib. It's already enough trouble keeping this pathetic rock alive; I don't need your mumbling and babbling. I'm taking her today. If you don't give her to me then I'll take her by force…" angry, ready to burst from exasperation.

"Please, my Tallest, just one day. That's all I ask! Just one day. You owe her at least that much…"

Silence.

I wished I could be down there. I wished I could see what was going on, see he Tallest's reaction. I was surprised by his response.

"One day Dib… That's all I'm giving you. Hatchet and I will be above Earth's atmosphere. If you try anything funny, believe me when I say, we'll destroy Earth with a push of a button…"

The door opened and closed. More silence. The little light above my door turned green. I opened my door and walked swiftly and silently back downstairs.

"Uncle Dib?"

He stood rigid, watching the door. He didn't move, not even when I walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He sighed and took off his glasses to clean them before putting them back on and smiling down at me. The smile was fake. I could always tell when it was fake.

"Hey Belle…"

I wasn't an idiot. Uncle Dib used to say that I had my mother's brains and my father's guts. I had proved him right time and time again. I wasn't helpless/ I knew who the "she" was in all those sentences. I knew what the Tallest wanted.

"Why?" It was just one word. One word that held an entire question in its small little hands.

He gestured for me to sit on the couch. He went downstairs and when he came back up, he held a book in his hands. A large book. He sat next to me and opened it to the first page.

I gasped.

I was staring into a pair of emerald eyes. Exactly like my left eye.

The face that held them was a face I had dreamed about often. Her skin was white and wintry like dream, her lips rosy and red, turned up into a loving smile. Her hair was auburn and long. She sat on a piano bench, her long bony fingers sitting on the keys. The book was filled with pictures of her and others like her.

She was a human.

She was beautiful.

And on the last page was the picture that affected me the most. She sat on a porch swing, laughing, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms around them. Her head was leaning against a shoulder, and then I saw a red Irken uniform. When I looked up, the boy's face was green, his smile unsure, cautious. But his eyes were like a human's, the irises gray. He had black hair, and when I looked, I could tell that they were just a wig and contacts. But he was there, with her. And they looked so natural together despite the fact they were two different species. I reached up and touched them lightly with my finger, not believing what I was seeing. My eyes were filling with tears. I looked up at Uncle Dib. He was watching me, gauging my reaction.

"You know what this means don't you…"

It wasn't a question.

I looked back at the picture.

"Mom…" barely a whisper, "…Dad…"

They looked so wrong… but so… beautiful…

Uncle Dib took the picture out and gave it to me.

"It's the only one with the two of them together. You deserve to keep it."

I took it gingerly, holding it carefully as if it would disintegrate in my hands.

"I'm going to have to let you go, Belle…"

I knew that. I knew he wouldn't disobey the Tallest.

"Why does he want me?"

There was that word again…

"I don't know…" I could tell when he was lying but I knew he wouldn't tell me even if I did call him out on it.

He put an arm around my shoulder

"You know I'm not your real uncle don't you?"

I nodded. I had found out years ago. My mother's maiden name, the last name I had kept, and his last name weren't the same. There was no resemblance between them either as I gazed at my parent's faces.

"I'll always love you, Belle. You'll always be a niece to me," he smiled down at me. I smiled back up at him and let him hold me. I tried not to think about tomorrow. But I couldn't help it. Things were getting so hard and confusing.

"Will I ever see you again?"

I already knew the answer.

"Maybe someday. You never know what the future will bring. Just remember…" he touched my mother's face carefully, "she loved you with all her heart."

The tears spilled down my eyes as I held the picture close to me. I folded it carefully and put it in my breast pocket.

Close to my heart.

And that's where they would always stay.

The two halves of me.

A/N ok I owe everyone a HUUUGE apology. I updated the first chapter and didn't add a note and then I don't give you guys the second chapter until like 5 months later. i am so sorry for that. ive got finals coming up so you can imagine. well anyway, hope you like. giving you a little insight into our main character. whether you like her or not is up to you. but trust me the mood will lighten up once we really get into it. im excited for where this is going to go so keep hanging with me. i really appreciate you guys. thanks!