3. Samantha and Secrets
A/N: Another chapter! Come and get it! XD
.000.
The Warrior was able to finally reach towards the survivor's location, and opened up it's hangar for the ship to fly up and through towards and land on. Though it seemed the worst was over, Ripley still held on to the shakey feeling deep in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't right. She certainly hoped nothing would go wrong, but it was Bishop was reassured her that things were going to go smoothly.
"Ripley, I promise you, nothing will go wrong." he assured her, voice as calm as ever. Ripley frowned, not wanting to have to be reminded for something she was already trying to do. Her mood calmed though, and she sighed in an emotionless way, her eyes floating away to the technical equipment to distract herself. She wasn't watching as the ship smoothly but carefully managed to fly towards the hangar of The Warrior.
"Touchdown." Hicks breathed, a light smile forming at the corners of his lips. Ripley turned to him when she heard, and gave a bit of a relaxed smile herself before it fell and she focused back to what was going on outside at the hanger. Many of the crew members were scrambling about to have everything ready, and Ripley realized then she forgot to wake up Newt. She left to go, and found Newt fast asleep, and Ripley chose to do the option of simply scooping her into her arms instead of bothering to wake her up.
As Ripley cradled the nine year old girl in her arms, she ran to Hicks. "I truly hope things are about to get better." she told him. Hicks thought about that for a moment and he winked to her and laughed lightly.
"Don't worry about it, Ellen." he whispered to her, leaning in quickly to kiss her on the cheek as he left in another direction. Ripley stood there frozen for about a second before she relaxed and hoisted Newt better so she wouldn't drop her.
Bishop on the other hand had opened u the ramp, and instead of the survivors rushing out, it was the crew members pouring in frantically. Some were curious, others were worried, and some were a part of the medical team there to help out the injured private they had been told of. Far from the ramp stood a man in about his early forties, with dark hair starting to thin around his forehead and light, dusty brown eyes, stood patiently waiting to greet whoever decided to come out first. Bishop guessed that this was most likely Commander Pierr, and he exited form the pilot room to head towards the ramp and meet Pierr on the hanger.
Pierr pulled a light smile and he reached his hand out for Bishop to shake, to which he did so and Pierr laughed a bit, though the tone of it was rather awkward and strange; like he was hiding his true emotions that Bishop guessed was uncomfortable. The reason why most likely being that Bishop was an android, and perhaps Pierr wasn't used to androids. Bishop managed to hide an angry and frustrated sigh that he was being sene as that he was harmful to some despite the true fact he wasn't.
Still though, Bishop smiled as Pierr greeted himself. "I am Commander Evan Pierr. It is quite a pleasure to see you all alive and well.." Pierr paused for a moment as his dusty brown eyes looked over to see the medic team have Vasquez whisked away, the Mexican woman's face looking pale and pained. Pierr shuddered a bit before focusing back to Bishop and pulled off a different smile.
"Ahem. Yes, anyways. I can assure you that you are all now safe. Please, welcome yourselves to what we have." he informed to Bishop and the others as if he were advertising. Ripley, who had been coming up from behind Bishop and trailing next to Hicks with Newt in her arms, was a bit weary and had to once again hoist Newt properly before a pair of pale, cool hands reached over to help her with Newt.
"Here ma'am. Let me take her." the pair of hands offered. Ripley looked over Newt's head to see the person who spoke, whom was clearly a woman with scary familiar features to Ripley's own.
This woman was young,though perhaps in her early thirties. She had dark, curly hair that had been pulled back in a loose ponytail. Obviously she had pale skin, but the smile looked oddly familiar in Ripley's eyes as she noticed this woman had a familiar pair of brown eyes. It almost scared Ripley of the close features to...perhaps her own. Though she shook that off her mind, since she realized she had been unknowingly missing her own daughter Amanda and thought of this woman looking like her.
Ripley then breathed a smile but shook her head. "Thanks, I got it." she declined the woman's offer, though she ntoiced her tired she was, and how dead she felt within her arms. It wasn't like she planned on dropping Newt, it was just she was exhausted. Ripley for a moment thought about taking the woman's offer, but decided not to with the overprotective, motherly feeling coming from within her. Though as the seconds passed, she slowly started to crack, and the woman could see it, though said nothing as finally Ripley gave up, and carefully handed Newt to the woman.
The woman smiled and carefully cradled Newt like she was her own child. "Thank you. If you follow me I can take you both to your quarters." the woman offered, before making an 'O' shape in her mouth and added in:
"Oh, and by the way. My name is Samantha. You can call me Sam if you want." the woman- Samantha- er- Sam warmly told Ripley, as Ripley herself sighed and ran a hand and laid it on the back of her neck and made a very small smile.
"Thank you, Sam." Ripley told, though it was barely more or less a whisper she was surprised Sam even heard. Sam nodded as she carefully took the still and sleeping Newt, and lead the both of them to the quarters, which was several floors up, so they had to end up taking an elevator on the ship.
The ride was short and awkward, with Newt making a couple of quiet moans once or twice as she stirred in her sleep, but it was as if Samantha was a living pillow, never once did Newt move or fidget in her sleep. She slept rather soundfully, and Ripley found that to be quite impressive for someone who was most likely not a mother.
But still, there was something odd about this 'Sam'.
Something odd and familiar.
.000.
"How is she?" Hicks asked as he arrived to find Gormon literally standing on edge at the waiting room. Apparently, Vasquez had been taken in for a true diagnoses and for a treatment on her leg, though from the looks of Gormon's face, Hicks could tell it was something pretty serious.
Gormon lowered his head down and sighed. Nothing at all so far. he informed, making Hicks lower his head down to stare don at the floor of the ship, his ears able to pick up faint noises, mufflings of babbling doctors, the noise of working equipment, but at least Vasquez had stopped moaning.
And that was a good thing, right?
What seemed like hours was only minutes as the door opened, revealing a gap of what was going on inside, where Vasquez laid on the bed, blankets tucking her in and a breathing tube at her nose. Her skin was pale, but some of it's tan color had returned. As many told, hospital lights make you looks awful, and for Vasquez, she looked like she was glowing in a way, but otherwise had bags under her eyes; Most likely from the medication she had been given. Otherwise, she still looked the same old self of, and obviously her case wasn't as bad as Hicks presumed if there weren't that many medical equipment surrounding her or were hooked up to her at all.
And though it was a great relief to see that, itwasn't like the view they had seen her from the door had magically opened up by itself just to relieve the two men. A petite, Oriental, female nurse with long dark hair that looked silky smooth and a a small smile had been the one who opened the door and her smile grew a bit as she flushed nervously at the two men. Hicks peered and ntoiced that on her nametag it read 'Mika'.
Gormon looked ready to pounce on the tiny woman for an answer. Is she..is she gonna be alright? he frantically asked Mika. Mika's smile grew and she nodded.
"Yes. Both mother and child are well." Mika explained with a cheery smile.
If shock could kill, then just now, it walked away with its newest victims.
Hicks and Gormon.
Hicks swore his jaw drop to the floor and his eyebrows raised sky high.
"E-Excuse me?" Gormon repeated in a whisper so low in was practically inaudible, as his eyes widened. Mika's smile fell, as if slightly surprised and concerned.
"O-oh. You didn't know she was with child?" Mika asked, just to be certain but her voice grew nervous as Hicks looked across form the door at the resting Vasquez, and flickered back to the tiny Mika.
"Fuck no!" Gormon spat, his tone dripping of 'well duh NO!'. Mika took that as quite hurtful, but hid that from within her face as she sighed lightly and checked the clipboard in her hand.
"According to these here she is about a week or so along." Mika studied as her eyes read through the results on her clipboard as Gormon carefully but harshly shoved past Mika to head inside to see Vasquez. Hicks face-palmed himself and rubbed his temples for Gormon's rudeness and decided to follow behind him. Though it was wrong to barge in, he himself was curious about this whole interest.
Vasquez heard their padded footsteps and sighed, fluttering her eyes open as they stared around to meet with Gormon's angry ones and Hicks's shocked. She stirred a bit, confused. "Wh-what? What is it?" she breathed, sounding confused but a little bit like her old self again.
Gormon placed his hands on his hips. "Vasquez dammit. How long have you been hiding this?" he questioned bitterly at her, making Vasquez shoot a glare at Gormon that was as venomous a cobras'.
"What the fuck are you TALKING about?" she growled, though restrained herself from the dizziness she had form her headache. Hicks held a hand at Gormon, telling him to let him handle this instead, and Hicks stepped forward to Vasquez.
"Vasquez, do you know?" Hick asked paitently but sternly. Vasquez shook her head, in denial.
"Still have no fucking idea what you even mean!" she shouted angrily. Hicks took a step back, though it was unnecessarily since he only did it in case if Vasquez were to somehow regain her strength and jump after him.
She most certainly regained her anger. Hicks remained calm though as he spoke again, or at least opened his mouth to before Gormon beat him to it.
"Vasquez, you're pregnant. Now damn straight you bet I wanna know who the father is." Gormon demanded in a stern tone. Vasquez's face froze in shock, her face unreadable for anything else besides pure shock. She made a small gasp to herself and shook her head, in denial.
"No...no...that- that's not right." she told them in a whisper of complete denial. Hicks nodded slowly, and figured she wouldn't take the news wonderfully but had to ask again in a more gentle tone than Gormon:
"Jenette, who's the father?" he questioned, almost never calling her by her first name. It added in a personal effect to her as she remembered to the only possibility...
Their relationship was always kept a secret. She had tried to forget about it after his death, but the memories managed to pull a few of her heart strings, and she could barely hide her pained face as she remembered.
She and Drake had always been seen as friends, but behind closed doors there was something more.
On the early morning that they had been told that there were to soon be sent on some kind of a search and rescue mission three days from then, the two of them had gone out with the boys to have a couple of drinks. Maybe one or two perhaps...
...in the end, it ended being eight in total. Or at least that's what she had thought; She was too drunk to remember anyways.
But what she could remember, was her clothes scattered all over the place, and a sleeping lump next by to her, arm wrapped around her naked body. She sat straight up, playfully hitting the arm, and the lump- Drake- stirred and stopped his light snoring pattern and snapped his head up. Vasquez made an effort to lightly smile, but a hangover headache came to her, and she placed a hand to her forehead. Drake laughed.
"Not bad for an Army chick." he laughed, his goofy grin plastered on his face. Vasquez rolled her eyes; This wasn't the first time they had made love, Drake just liked to joke about the ratings of good they were. Sometimes it would get on her nerves, but she was too tired to care much.
"Fuck you." she groaned, though somewhere in her tone it was jokingly.
"Any time! Any place! I'm up for another round!" Drake offered, his laughter a little louder as his grin became a bit larger. Vasquez reached down for her shirt and smirked.
"You weren't bad for yourself. Consider yourself one helluva lucky guy if I consider an encore." she winked to him and blew a sarcastic kiss, to which he took it rubbed it all over his lips immaturely. Vasquez made an airy laughter for a quick second, and left to change.
And despite the fact they both looked like hell form the alcohol, she pleasurely thought Drake wasn't half bad looking- maybe even handsome.
And maybe, just maybe, she felt something even stronger within their relationship for one another.
As reality drove back to Vasquez, she realized that denial was pointless, and the facts all made perfect sense. She did an excellent job of hiding back a tear that attempted to roll down her cheek, and lowered her head down in a partial way of shame, unable to face Hicks and Gormon as she spoke her answer in a mumbled vice so low no one could hear.
Gormon furrowed his eyebrows and frowned impatiently as Hicks shook his head confused. Hicks asked, meaning for her to repeat what she said only louder. Vasquez mumbled again, and Hicks opened his mouth ot say something when Vasquez snapped her head up.
"Drake! Mark Drake! There's no other fucking Drake around here that I've ever known, is there?" she screamed, and then her face fell to something of a distant pain, lowering her head down slowly and sighed sadly.
"Drake is the father." she whispered. And somehow it made sense to the others, and no one said a word. Gormon's face was as if of nothing, and Hicks couldn't find anything to say for a reaction. The pause was just of pure awkwardness and shock.
Vasquez though, broke the silence with a irritated groan and threw her head back against the pillow. "Pregnant." she mumbled in disbelief, shaking her head.
Hicks pulled off a smile. "Hey cheer up. You can still kick ass even as a Mommy." he told her, his voice hoarse. Vasquez looked up, and did managed to smile back, but only for a moment. Her smile fell as she thought of the baby- her baby, that would end up fatherless. Hicks was able to read her face, and looked to Gormon to let her have some time to herself to think.
Though Gormon on the other hand looked ready to irritate Vasquez with a million questions as to how long her secret relationship with Drake had been going on, but knew that any type of Vasquez (pregnant or not) would not be a joy to have around when angry. He followed Hicks out of the room, shaking his head in still disbelief.
"I don't believe this." he muttered to Hicks, the shock evident. Hicks raised a brow, nodding and looking over to Vasquez for a moment before looking back to Gormon.
"Yeah. I mean-I always knew they were really good friends, and she did get pretty pissed at you when he got killed but...wow." he breathed, agreeing to every word Gormon said. Once again, awkwardness kicked in for the situation, with no one sure of what to say, before Hicks thought of the others. He was curious to know what Ripley's reaction would be to the surprising news. Even if it didn't involve her, he figured she could use some good news.
"Where's Ripley?" he asked, turning to look at Gormon. Gormon looked up, and shrugged his shoulders, unsure of where she went, though came up with a theory.
"I have a hunch that it involves wherever Newt is at, Ripley is there as well." he commented to Hicks, and watched as he turned to leave and go find her. Gormon then had a thought and chuckled lightly to himself.
"You know, I don't see why Newt hasn't gotten to calling Ripley her mom yet. Their bond is closer than any friendship I've ever had." Gormon chuckled, making Hicks roll his eyes.
"Gormon, that's because kids hate you. And they hate you because half the time of your life you're an asshole." Hicks explained, trying not to laugh. Gormon frowned and glared at him, but eventually both men cracked and eventually snickered a bit before going their separate ways.
It made hicks think about the positive changes that were starting to come; With Vasquez expecting, Ripley possibly adopting Newt, and so many more it made Hicks smile.
Perhaps things would turn out for the better.
.000.
"Bovelinni, I want a full investigation on the ship. God knows what went on at Hadley's Hope, and personally, I don't wanna know." Sgt. Phelps told to one of the soldiers, Marcus Bovelinni. The tan skinned, dark blond haired man nodded and saluted to Phelps, whom rolled his eyes in annoyance of Marcus's constant saluting, before Marcus and a group of men went in through the ramp and to investigate the ship.
Marcus, and two men named Jon Andrews and Kyle Robins followed in as they checked down to the lower part of the ship, almost close to eh engines. The room was pitch black, like a shadow, and the lights from their flashlights were the only source of light.
"Andrews, you see anything?" Marcus asked, to which Andrew shook his head.
"I can't see shit man." he groaned while Robins turned to head back. Andrews pulled him by his shoulder and turned him around, glaring at him to not walk off like that. Marcus's eyes peered around, unable to see anything at all, and turned around to face Andrews and Robins.
"Hey look, I don't see anything but I'm gonna see if I can find anything else hiding. You two go on ahead, it's probably lunch time anyways." Marcus offered, to which Robins easily took to while Andrew followed behind, rather more or less trailed behind. Marcus smirked, looking around and about, double checking just to make sure everything was in the clear...
When the sudden noise of a hiss caught his ears. He snapped his head up, and literally spun around, trying to find what could've made that noise. His eyes scanned about the room, but he kept himself calm and cool as he made a light sigh in relief. He was probably just imaginging things, since he heard the stories going around of those aliens the survivors had encountered. Shaking his head and taking a steady breath, Marcus let those thoughts go as he dared himself to step forward, another step in the darkness.
.000.
"Yo, you wonder when Marcus is gonna get back?" Andrews asked Robins, who shrugged his shoulders as he walked.
"He'll be back when he gets back. Marcus is a neat freak anyways, he'll probably report about how much dust he was able to find in the engines or something." Robins joked, to which Andrews frowned and shook his head.
"Man you frickin' suck at telling jokes." Andrews told him, punching Robins playfully at the arm as both young men laughed and walked off, unconcerned for their friend.
Neither one of them heard the faint, muffled scream from Marcus. How at last minute he had noticed something moving and stepped forward to see what it was.
Blood scattered across the walls and floor, as if in an explosion, painting the walls to a dark, unnatural looking red. How he had tried ot run but his efforts were useless as the Queen Xenomorph showed no pity.
A limp hand slammed across the wall, then slowly fell down, leaving behind a trail of dark red blood as it fell.
Sadly though, there was no window at the wall, so no one saw a thing at all. After all...
...The first victim is always never noticed gone.
.000.
How true is that? How no one ever seems to notice the first victim go missing or die? Hmph. Oh well, guess it can happen here as well! HA! That was the twist to V/D- Vasquez is preggos! XD
