I don't own Defiance but I do own my OCs. I'm still working on my WH13 fics and my SQ one-shots fanfictions, don't worry :) R&R

Enjoy!

"E.V.A?" Tommy frowned.

Nolan turned his head but kept his eyes on the two in the corner. "They're like the Volge but different in a few ways. Mostly they're not as tall or heavily armored but they're a technically advanced race that's pretty damn well known for experimenting on how to create soldiers to spare their own. Their numbers aren't as big either but they have plenty of fire power…"

Tommy swallowed nervously. He'd never heard of these things, ever. When he'd seen Teddy without his hood he'd looked like nothing more than a droid, the thought of him being anywhere near as deadly as the Volge never crossed his mind but maybe that's because he was with a child.

"Is that what the boy is?" Datak stepped forward. "A Castithan experiment of your people?"

Teddy finally raised his head and pulled his hood back. The green that had been behind the lenses was now a deep red. "Move out of the way or I will remove you. Our only wish is to leave."

"But Teddy," Starsen spoke up.

"No…these people," He almost seemed to spit the word. "Cannot accept you like I know you were hoping." He wasn't blind to the way he'd watched his ward brighten at how Tommy spoke of this place but being here now was different…only twenty minutes in one building and someone was already pointing a gun at him.

"That's unfair, we don't want to start anything." Amanda cut in. "Rafe, put up the gun, we can handle this like adults."

When the man made no move to follow the direction Starsen peaked around Teddy's body. "Please? He won't hurt anybody, I swear."

After a small argument Datak and Rafe left the building, swearing under their breath, Stahma followed quietly, sparing a glance over her shoulder with a small smile before closing the doors after her.

Amanda sat behind her desk and watched as Starsen sat carefully on a chair and Teddy choosing to stand while Nolan dismissed Tommy with the request of finding his other deputy. She crossed her arms, choosing to take a guarded stance while she waited for answers.

"Who are you two and what are you doing here?" She repeated, having had it gone unanswered only served to annoy her.

"We told you are names." Teddy grunted.

Amanda glared at him. "Don't be a smartass, you're in my town, and you follow my rules, and answer my questions. Try again."

There was a beat. "I am an E.V.A. Starsen was…apart of a project."

"What project?" Amanda tilted her head to the side. When he stayed silent she sighed. "We can do this the easy way, which I'd prefer after the day I've had. I'd like to not go down the other road here." She waited.

"It was a genetic project." The mayor and Lawkeeper turned to him. When his caretaker tried to hush him he shook his head. "I want to stay here Teddy, at least for a while." His previously calm face slipped as he turned sad eyes up to face the droid. "I appreciate what you've done please don't think I don't…but Teddy I am tired." He breathed. "We haven't stayed in a place even close to this in…years now. I miss warm water and comfortable beds and food."

"I can't remember not taking a bath in freezing water or just sleeping without twigs in my back. You've kept me alive all this time and it's been great but can we just," he shrugged, at a loss for what to say. "Be normal for just a little bit? I would like to eat food you didn't have to catch and have clean clothes for a bit."

There was a long silence afterwards. One that was a bit uncomfortable for the man and woman in the room.

Teddy sighed. "I…was a guard. When things with the projects didn't go as planned they were going to do what they always had. Terminate the subject, but I disagreed with them and made it plain. I got him out and…here we are."

Amanda nodded. "What happened to make them want to kill these projects?"

"It was three of them…Starsen, however; was their top priority. The other two were somewhat flawed in development, at least to the hive."

"Hive?" Nolan frowned.

"The E.V.A search for technical advances and all useful knowledge in their own protection while they achieve it. The hive is the circle of the most esteemed soldiers and scientists…they make the final choices behind what the E.V.A eventually do."

"What exactly does E.V.A mean?" Amanda uncrossed her arms.

"Eutropic. Vatice. Armigerous." When neither human spoke he continued to explain. "It is their way of saying that seeking what they want allows them to take up arms against those in their way, that their way is the only path towards the way the universe should work."

"Does sound like the Volge." Amanda muttered under her breath. "I don't get why though."

Teddy shrugs. "It just turns out from their way of thinking. In their eyes the sun is what makes a solar system thrive and they want to achieve the same type of power in the galaxy through technology and science. If they send out to many of their own they won't see that realized."

"Which is how the experimenting on other races started." Nolan finished with a nod. "So he," nodding to Starsen. "Is one of the projects of the E.V.A." Starsen and Teddy nod. "Why is he so important and why terminate him if he is?"

There was another pause before the droid speaks again. Still unsure of how much is wise to share. "His DNA codes were taken from two races individuals that had what they deemed needed in a soldier…he was meant to be a strategist for battle, to cut down on losses when in combat."

Amanda watched Starsen as his situation was explained. The kid didn't seem like a soldier to her at all, but given what she knew about Castithans, a book could never be judged by the cover. "But why try killing someone that they created to help them?" It just wasn't…smart, for a race so focused on science to do.

Teddy remained silent. Starsen sighed. "I took it by accident." He made a face, almost like a pout, he seemed bothered with himself. "I didn't mean to." His gaze turned to the mayor and she thought he looked oddly familiar for a moment. "Took what?" She questioned gently. "Information. I accidently back-hacked them and downloaded their database."

The pause that came after his explanation was deafening. He smiled awkwardly before lowering his head. "I guess it was better than being one of their toys." He breathed.

Nolan smirked at that. "Any day kid." He stepped closer and patted the boy on the back. "How old are you exactly?"

"Fifteen. I was Eleven when Teddy got me out of the chamber."

Amanda took a breath and exhaled slowly. She stood and nodded to herself before looking at the two. "Okay, I think I've had about all I can stand for the night. How about we get you settled for the night and take it from there?"

"Okay." Starsen grinned, speaking before his caretaker even had a chance. It made Amanda laugh as she lead them out of the building with Nolan following after them.

As it turned out Teddy was far stricter than Amanda would have thought but then given what he comes from she can't find room to be surprised. He won't allow Starsen to stay in a spare room her sister has available. He called it immoral to place a child in a building of that sort.

In the end she allowed them to stay in her home's spare rooms after he'd turned down four other offers. Starsen seemed pleased with the idea, asking what it was like and what he'd be allowed to do there. She'd laughed. "Well I have a television for some movies, a radio, food, a bathroom. I think I still have some spare clothes that may fit you until we can go shopping at the market place for more."

"Great." He smiles but it falls when she chuckles. "Is that not the right word? Teddy's been teaching me."

"No it's right; it's just cute is all. I haven't been around many kids much." She grins when she realizes that even though Starsen is part Casti he is still human enough to blush at the compliment. She wonders if it bothers him that they're a bit dirty, well, really dirty. "For now let's get you a shower. Or a bath, whichever you prefer."

"What's a shower?" He pronounces the word slowly. She ruffles his hair fondly. "You'll see."

Nolan had complained that she was letting strangers who could be lying in her home, she proposed that if it was such a problem and he worried she couldn't take care of them herself he was free to stay the night just in case. Which was why he walked behind the three slowly. Teddy had put his hood back up and his hands in his pockets.

"Wow!" Starsen's eyes gleam as he sees the house they're headed towards. "You live there?" Amanda nodded; it was just a simple two-story house with a modest yard. But seeing his reaction reminds her that he hasn't seen many homes. "I've only been in places with trailers and tents, this looks much nicer."

"Well thank you." The mayor laughs as they climb the three steps to the front door. "The inside looks better than the outside." She unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning on the hallway light and stepping to the side. Her cheeks are almost starting to hurt with how much she's been smiling in his company.

"Wow…this is the biggest place I've ever seen." He turns in the entryway to the rest of the house. "Shoes off when entering a home." Teddy speaks in a way that sounded programmed from an old recording. The boy jumps in surprise at himself and quickly shuffles back to Amanda and slips off his beaten sneakers. She frowns at the sight of the dirty socks with several holes. A child in the Bad Lands was no way to live.

"I'll show you the bathroom, that way you don't have to feel bad, okay?" She gauges his reaction; he appears fine with it and nods. He follows while Nolan and Teddy stay behind. She watches as he takes in her ornaments on the walls and pictures of her and Kenya from their lives. He would twitch like he wanted to touch some but restrained himself. His state of dress did bother him.

He sets his bear on the toilet and undresses himself down to his shorts he'd been wearing under his pants. Amanda turns on the shower and tries not to laugh when he flinches back in surprise. "This is the shower?" He asks, watching the spray hit the tub bellow.

"Yep, it can be a bath too but showers are faster." She stood. "It's kinda hot but if you want it colder just say so okay?" He nods, removing his shorts while she looks away to grant him privacy until he's behind the curtain and pulls it shut. She hears him giggle. "I like this shower!" He called.

"Good." Amanda's attention turns to the bear, he'd clutched it like a lifeline the whole time. "Starsen?" She waits for him to answer before going on. "Where'd you get this bear?" She picks it up gently and runs a finger over a black-button-eye. "Teddy gave it to me as a gift. We had just come in a village and it was someone's name day. I asked him what it was and asked about my own. He said my name day was the day he woke me up and gave it to me."

"That's sweet." She breathes. The bear is clearly worn from months of living out in the wild with the two. Placing it back down she tells the boy she'll be back in a moment with some clothes for him. The clothes are old, from a long time ago; she remembers the boy's name and smiles as she holds the old red shirt with a lightning bolt in the center of a white ring. Shaking the memories she grabs an old pair of shorts and leaves to return to Starsen. She hadn't been able to bring herself to throw the clothes away.

"Here you go sweetie." Amanda set the clothes on the sink counter. She swallows as she notices her slip. He was just like a memory but in living color again and she couldn't help herself. She knows she should wait to form an attachment because they still don't know if they're staying.

"What is a sweetie?" Starsen feels his curiosity emerge. There were still many things about both of his cultural backgrounds he didn't know. Teddy only taught him those cultural differences on the spot as surviving for another day had taken his top priority.

"It's a term of affection."

Starsen peers around the deep purple curtain. "Affection, a gentle feeling of kindness or fondness." He recites. "You are fond of me after only meeting me earlier today?"

Amanda nods. "Yeah, you're a sweet kid and I like kids." Her chest tightens as she fights more memories.

"You have distrust in me because I'm Castithan." He spoke softly.

The blonde was stunned for a moment, not realizing he'd been observing her just as much as she had him. "It isn't because of that…okay maybe a little." She breathes in, pinching her lips between her teeth and breathing through her nose before trying again. "It's just that Castithans are well known for not liking humans much and being very hard to read but I know a few kind ones."

He stares at her for a hard moment of silence. It made her feel like an insect under inspection. "I have nothing to hide and nothing to deceive you for. Teddy says that what will set me apart from my Castithan roots is always doing my best to tell the truth. That's why he usually speaks more than I do…he finds I can be honest to often." He shrugs. "It sometimes doesn't help in surviving outside." He disappears behind the curtain again.

"It's good to tell the truth Starsen."

"Good, because it makes me uncomfortable to be dishonest."

She thinks for a moment. "Do you know where your DNA samples came from?"

"Teddy does, he says the E.V.A do thorough background searches on individuals they look into getting DNA samples from. To see who would be best equipped to certain duties for the hive."

"Has he told you who they are?"

"No, he said it was irrelevant to surviving. Why?"

"I was just curious about how you got your name." She worries her lip in thought.

"Teddy named me. He took Adam from another DNA human samples file and Starsen was a name he found unique, he told me it would help me define myself someday."

"Sounds like Teddy does one thing and says another." Amanda gave a dry chuckle, leaning against the sink.

"I think it's left over from when he was still doing human observation missions even though he doesn't remember much of it." The water stopped. "I need something to cover with."

The blonde takes a towel from under the sink and hands it to him over the top of the guard for privacy. "I can wash your clothes if you like." The curtain pulls back and Starsen steps from the shower with a bright smile and Amanda can't help but smile back because it's infectious. His hair is a bit paler now that it's clean but still noticeably blonde and his skin is almost blemish free. She frowns.

"You don't have a bellybutton." She can't help the way her eyebrows raise as she turns her eyes to his. He shakes his head. "I wasn't born like others are. There was no cord so," he waves at his stomach. "No bellybutton." He smiles shyly as he pulls the shirt over his head. Amanda looks away again for his privacy as he continues getting dressed. "What do I do with this?"

Starsen holds the damp towel with a curious frown, unsure of what to do with it. He'd always air-dried himself after washing in a stream or pond. He watched her point to a plain silver rod. "You hang it up to dry and the next time you want to use it you pick it up."

"And after I'm done it goes back again?" He slips the item over the bar and fidgets with it until he sees it's perfectly straight and then turns around to pull the curtain closed. Amanda hums in agreement. "Eventually you wash it but then you use it again." She explains; turning and exiting the bathroom to head for the main room.

"Humans are resourceful." She hears him speak in a slightly awestruck tone.

"We can be."

"Amanda?" He waits for her to glance at him before continuing. "Should I not mention my stomach to others? I understand it is unusual…I think it may lead the E.V.A here if it's spoken about." He worries his bottom lip as he runs scenario after scenario through his head. The woman purses her lips before nodding. "It's our little secret." She ruffles his hair and he shoots her another smile.

Nolan watched with an amused grin as Starsen fought to stay awake. He'd eaten several different sandwiches and meats before Amanda gave him some chocolate for a treat. She herself only found it ever so often. The boy had loved it, telling his caretaker they should have found out about sweets sooner.

Teddy sat quietly as his ward watched an old movie Amanda had managed to keep through the years. The boy eventually ended up dozing off on the couch, teddy bear clutched tight still.

"Kid's a trooper, gotta give him that." Nolan muses quietly to his boss who's sat beside him. "You two staying then?" He turns to the droid while sitting back on the couch with a blank face.

The green colored lenses turn to him…his attitude seemed disappointed, if Amanda was reading it right. It was a droid after all. How many emotions could he show? "I am conflicted, it is hard to keep living outside but it isn't safe to be in places like this. But…" he turned to Starsen and appeared to sigh. "This place makes him happy already and I have not seen that in a long time."

"Sometimes to be a good parent we gotta do what makes kids happy." Nolan nods.

"Maybe it's worth the risk. It seems wrong most times that I brought him with me just to have him live like an animal. It is…immoral of me."

Amanda is at a loss for what to say. "It's a good place to live. You can both be happy here." She feels like the pot calling the kettle black as she spoke…it was hard for her to be happy here sometimes but that didn't mean it wasn't a better place to live than others.

Thanks for reading! I'm till learning the technologies and terms they use in Defiance, next chapter will be some Casti language tossed in and I'll have the meaning translated down here. Sorry for any mistakes, no betta.

Vakitso-Survivor