It's been a month now, since I have woken up. I've learned so much from Pope, his brother, Hank, and I never get along, which drives Pope insane sometimes. Lately Pope has been acting strange, he used to be nice and funny but no he is becoming more of a grumpy old man. Maybe its the war that is changing him, I don't know. For the last couple of weeks, I have been remembering certain things from my past. How much I hated my father, and how scared I was of him. How I always disappointed him not being able to do something perfect, or right away. It had all started when my mom left when I was 5 my dad always blamed me, she blamed me to, I guess that I was too much of a handful.

I sat on the floor with Ember by my side, he had been acting strange lately. It may just be the weather, I know that bad weather always wore me out. I quietly whispered to Ember, not wanting to wake up everyone else.

It would be nice to stay with the group, but with Pope becoming distant things are just getting harder to deal with.

Ember looked up at me. We had grown closer, we trusted each other with our lives. I knew that Ember always had my back, in some way I trusted Ember more than any human in the world and if I had to choose between Ember and humans to protect, Ember would be on the top of my list.

What do you think? Huh. Should we split or stay. I don't know about you but I feel like if we stay, we're going to get killed.

Ember huffed, laying his head back down on my leg.

Damn, Pope has been so nice. I don't want to hurt him. But I swear Hank hates mine and Ember's guts. Why? Not why does he hate us, why did this happen. I want my memory back, I want to live a normal life. Not wanting to look over my shoulder to make sure Hank its doing anything. I hate it, I hate everything, mechs, skitters, alien weapons, and my dad.

I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed that I punched the wall causing Pope to wake up.

Hunter? What's up slice.

I hate always hated that nickname he had given me. He said that I have a short temper, once when Hank and I were fighting. When were fighting over the stupidest thing, but I had just blown up at him. Almost like someone sliced my patience in half.

Nothing, sorry I woke you up.

You didn't. I was up, so what's wrong?

He was awake? Shit, then heard me talking about leaving.

So you heard me talking to Ember?

He nodded, and leaned against the wall and slid down next to me. Petting Ember for a little bit, he spoke up again.

Talk to me slice. Maybe I can help you with the problem. That is what distant people think about you know, how to help other people with their problems.

He was trying to make me laugh, but it didn't work it only made me feel worst that I had thought it, let alone say it out loud.

I didn't mean to call you distant, just... I don't know, you just wont talk to me anymore. Not like you used to.

Yeah I know kid. I've been brushing everyone off lately, not just you.

I nodded, and continued stroking Ember waiting for Pope to continue. We sat in silents for a few minutes, I felt like I should say something, I just didn't know what to say. After I had open and closed my mouth several times, Pope spoke up.

If you want to leave I'm not stopping you, I just want to know why. Is it Hank, cause if you want I can talk to him for you.

No. I... Its just... I don't know, I guess it is some what about Hank. I am getting tired of looking over my shoulder all the time, and sleeping with one eye open. I feel like he has it out for me and Ember, like he hates us ever since we got here.

He sighed. Tilting his head back against the wall, thinking about the right way to answer.

Its not you.

So its Ember, what does he hate dogs?

He ran his hand through his hair. I may have been mistaken, but it looked like he was about to cry.

No he loves dogs, or used to. You remind him or someone, someone that he was very close to. Actually, you remind us both.

I stare at him, knowing that he is on the verge of tears. Not wanting to see him cry I held my tongue from asking him who it was that I reminded them of.

She was only 11 when the aliens came. I didn't know about her till a few months after I had gotten out of prison. But the first time I laid eyes on her I fell in love with a sweet, beautiful, loving little girl. My daughter.

By then Pope was silently crying. His head in his hands, almost curled up in a little ball on the floor. This was a side of Pope that I had never seen before, a side that I didn't think Pope had. I always thought that he was a tough, criminal, bad ass, and that was it. But no somewhere deep down inside him, there was a crier, a grieving soul. I gently wrap my arms around him, trying to comfort him. Like a little child he leaned on me, crying on my shoulder, not caring who saw, just wanting to let it out. Everything that he had been holding in all this time.

What was she like? Did I really look like her? What happen to her?

All these questions ran through my mind, but the last one was the one I really wanted to know the answer to. There were so many things that could have happened to her, before or after the invasion. We sat in silence, as Pope let it all out. Slowly his sobs began to die, as he got a grip on himself not wanting his brother or the other gang members to see him like that, and think he's weak.

Those damn aliens.

I look at him, he had his fist balled up so tight his knuckles turned pure white.

I couldn't stop them. It was my fault, I was her father I should have saved her. Done something more to stop them.

It wasn't your fau...

Yes it was! You weren't there. You don't know what happened.

Pope was on his feet, walking out into the hall. I followed him along with Ember.

Then explain so that I do know what happened, and can tell you that it wasn't your fault.

My temper growing shorter by the second, I stared at Pope with my hands on my hips. He slid down to the floor again, and looked up at me and laughed.

Just like her. Even for her age she was stubborn.

Tell me what happen. Start from the beginning.

He nodded and began to relax a little.

She was 7 when I first met her, just had her birthday party a few days before she came to live with me. Her mom and I had a thing before I was sent to prison again. I didn't even know that she was pregnant. She never even came to tell me that I had a miracle of my own. I was always jealous of my brother, he had a beautiful wife, two wonderful children. When I was on the outside, I would always hang around them. God, I loved them and to think, I had one of my own in the world.

I was now sitting next to him, Ember curled up in between us. He took a deep breath, and continued his story.

I had just gotten out of prison, for the second time. My brother picked me up with a serious face on, usually he'd be laughing about how I looked. But not this time, he said that there was someone at the house looking for me. I tried to get more information, but that was all he knew. When we got to his house, I met a man named David Jackson. What kind of name is that? Humm. But anyways, he started by asking me if I remembered a woman named Abigail Stanson. It took me a second to figure out that he was talking about Abby, see I had been with a lot of girls between the time I was with Abby and then, lot of them I couldn't remember.

He had a smile on his face, like he was remembering her.

So you must have really liked her to remember her name.

I loved her. We planned on getting married and starting a family. But then I slipped back into my old self, drinking, doing stupid stuff. She was able to take it for a while, but then one night she just snapped. Packed her stuff and left. I always thought that I'd see her again on the street or somewhere. Either that or she would show back up on Hank's doorstep. I should have known better, she always kept her word. She was never coming back.

Pope let a few tears escape his eyes, but quickly stopped them not wanting a repeat of an hour ago.

The man, David, told me that Abby had passed away the previous week from breast cancer. He told me that she had a daughter, Poppy. She named her after me, can you believe that. Why would she do that? Poppy needed a guardian, and even though Abby had stated in her will that she wanted her to go to her sister, I was the father. And if I wanted I could claim her. I didn't even have to think twice, I said yes. That way I had something left of Abby, and a reason to get my life straight. He then called her out of the house, Hank's kids were keeping her entertained.

(Pope's flashback)

A little girl with light red hair came out and stood by David. She looked so much like Abby.

Poppy, this is John Pope. He is your father. You'll be living with him for now on ok.

She nodded her little head. Even though her mother had just died she smiled. She walked over to me and hugged me. I was taken by surprise that it took me a second to react.

Mommy told me about you. She said that you were funny, and you always made her laugh whenever she was upset.

I tried to keep her always smiling.

Can you tell me a joke?

I nodded and thought for a second.

Ok here it is. A pirate got captured. The sailor said to him, "How did you get that wooden leg?"

"Well it was me shark that bit it off."

"And how did you get that hook on your arm?"

"It was me shark that bit it off."

The sailor said, "So how did you get that patch on your eye?"

The pirate said, "Well a seagull flew by and pooped on my eye."

The sailor said, "How would seagull poop give you a patch?"

The pirate says, "It was me first day with me hook."

she giggled like it was the funniest thing she heard in her life.

Another one.

(Reality)

I signed the papers that every day. She was mine, she had even called me daddy before she went to sleep.

What happened to her.

Aliens.