Chapter 4

Time seemed to pass a little quicker than normal for the almost "Happy Family". Chip grew much faster than a normal human child would, making his size a little more difficult to hide in the shadows. At night Baird and Sam would walk with Chip in the shadows of the buildings away from any Gear who stood guard.

Chip grew up, mostly staying in Baird's workshop. Luckily for Baird, the only other person who ever went in there was Sam. Everybody else was busy just staying alive in this war.

It had only been a year since Baird had found Chip and already he had grown to look like a four year old. He had a long grey torso, scaly and thin. Both his arms and legs were short and stubby holding no shape at all. It was as if he had short poles for limbs. There were no hair what so ever on his body.

Baird sat with Chip in the small area as he tried to teach him how to speak.

"Can you say hi? Yes? No?" He had no idea how to do this. He never even planned to have any children, nor did he ever grow up around any. He was an only child who normally kept to himself. Having parents who weren't big on showing feeling or emotion, he grew to be just like them.

"Dada." Chips voice was not as deep as the normal adult locust, nor did it have the odd sound as one who grew up among only grubs. Growing up, even though it was only Sam and Baird he had ever heard talking, Chip would sound a lot more human than any other Locust born and raised underground.

"No no no! I am not your dada!" Baird said holding his hands out in surprise.

Sam just happened to walk in at that time.

"Awe, how cute!" Sam said. "He thinks you're his daddy!"

Chip took one look at Sam and grinned happily. "Mama!"

Sam blushed. "Uh, no I am not your mama sorry."

Chip's eyes went wide and large alligator tears began to form. At that moment, he could almost pass for a human child if it wasn't for his grey skin.

"Don't you say a word, Baird."

Quickly Baird looked away.

They were pretty much like a family. Sam and Baird were the only humans that Chip had ever met and they were the only ones who had ever cared for him. To Chip, this is his family.

"Look." Baird said sternly. "I am not your father and Sam is not your mother. We are in no way related! Thusly you will not call us mom and dad."

Chip sat there, not understanding what Baird was talking about, but still he nodded. It would all be in time that he would understand the ways of the human and knew what it meant to live as a human.

FIVE YEARS LATER:

Chip was now taller than Sam and almost as tall as Baird. He had grown at an alarming rate, surprising the hell out of them. He had filled out quite a bit, now finally growing some body definition from working out with Baird. Still they only went out a night, and as always staying in the shadows of the buildings facing away from the base.

Being a lot bigger, the space of Baird's workshop was no longer big enough for Chip to walk around during the day. Their walks at night ended up being a lot longer than it use to be to spend the enormous energy he has.

"Mom, Dad?"

Sam and Baird were still the only ones that Chip has ever known. After some time, both Baird and Sam had given up on stopping him from calling them mom and dad. In fact they had gotten use to it and even grown attached and protective of Chip.

"Yes?" Baird said, not looking up from Jack Bot.

"When can we go outside again?"

It had been raining, which meant that they had to stay inside. The winter had gotten dangerously cold at night, threatening to kill what was left of mankind.

Sam smiled gently. "Remember, it's not safe right now. There are too many people that can see you."

Chip hung his head like a little child. "I know…"

"Hey." Sam said again. "How about later tonight, once it's pretty dark we can go for a walk. It's going to be a new moon tonight."

Chip's head went up quickly and he grinned showing off his sharp teeth.

Baird let out a long breath as he picked up a screwdriver and muttered something under his breath.

"Don't worry." Sam said.

Baird looked over at Sam who was also grinning at him. He couldn't help but to smile back. A REAL SMILE.

Later in the day, Sam left Baird's workshop for a patrol shift which seemed to have lasted forever. Of course it was only eight hours, but to Sam that was way too long. Her whole shift she worried about Chip.

She walked through the abandoned buildings; the only sound heard was the dirt crunching under their large boots. Today was uneventful, as if the Locusts were taking a break today. It was a nice change.

The setting of the sun was the sign that her shift has ended and it couldn't come too soon. She seemed to have more energy as she lead her squad back toward the base with a little more bounce in her step than normal.

Exhausted, but wanting to get back to Chip and secretly Baird as well, she took a quick shower before heading toward Baird's workshop. She stopped along the way at the mess hall to grab some dinner. She had been a lot hungrier than she thought. It wasn't very far from the mess hall to Baird's work shop but by the time she got there, her food was gone.

Staying in the shadows, she glanced around; making sure that nobody had followed her before entering. Inside Chip was sitting in the corner, waiting. He grinned when he saw her.

"Mom!"

Sam smiled. "Hey Chip. Are you ready to go outside for a little while?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, let's go then." She said, handing him his jacket.

Chip quickly slipped into the jacket and hurried toward the door.

"Hold on. Let's zip up that jacket. It's really cold outside."

"Alright alright." Chip said impatiently.

"Remember to be quiet."

"Yeah yeah."

Sam laughed. Very slowly and carefully she opened the door and peeked out. Not a soul in sight. Many of the Gears had taken cover in areas that the wind would not reach them. Not even Locusts wanted to be out in this terrible weather.

"Alright, but not too long now."

"Yes mom."

Chip bound in front of Sam, very happy to be outside. It was strange to see a Locust inside the base and frolicking none the less; but Chip was different from the other Locusts. He would not hurt the humans. He knew the danger other humans presented to him, but still he would not hurt them. He almost seemed like a normal human child.

Sam gave Chip more love then Baird, but that was how Baird grew up. He never got the affection from his parents. Baird…well Baird is Baird. He wasn't too good at showing his emotions, but she was surprised that he let Chip live.

Sam followed Chip around the building a few times.

"Mom? Why can't anybody know about me?" Chip looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Oh Chip." She hugged him. "You're different. The war is humans against Locusts. Your dad, he had found you in the middle of a battle field. He was unable to kill you or leave you there all by yourself. The other humans, they wouldn't understand how you're different. They don't know how you grew up never knowing anything about our differences."

Chip looked up at Sam with wide eyes. They were enemies?

"I'm sorry you had to learn about it like this."

Without a word Chip turned and started to run.

"Chip wait!"

She followed him the best as she could, but Chip had extremely long legs. He was a much faster runner than her. She tried to call out to him, to keep up with him, but within several blocks, she lost him.

"Damn it!"

Quickly she hurried through the base toward the barracks. She had to tell Baird immediately.

TBC…..

Sorry this chapter is a little short. I was trying to get this chapter up as soon as I could. Hopefully I will get the next chapter a little bit longer.