Ok I own none of JA the movie or all that good stuff so don't come a'suing!

This is a short update. I did warn that I'm a bit of a sadist i think i get the best out of my characters when they're in pain but i promise to have some balance.

Chapter 7

The next morning Jupiter woke up in Caine's arms for the first time in a long time. She didn't realise how much she missed the feel of being close to him like that. She cursed herself for shutting it off, shutting him out.

"I'm sorry" she whispered turning over to brush a thumb over his temple.

Caine's eyes opened slowly. He was probably awake before she was. "No, I'm sorry." he whispered back. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry I couldn't make it better." He took her hand in his. "And I'm sorry your sovereignty has bought you so much pain. If I'd known..."

"You couldn't have, "

"But if I had..."

Jupiter pulled his hand to her lips and brushed a light kiss over his knuckles. "If you'd have known, it wouldn't have changed anything. Don't torture yourself."

Jupiter rolled on to her back, Caine rolled on to his stomach, both hands under his pillow facing her. "I think maybe you were right though."

"About what?"

Jupiter turned her head to look at him, both her hands splayed on her stomach. "Maybe now's not the best time to think about starting a family."

Caine didn't see that coming. They hadn't talked about it in weeks. "Oh,...well yea. It is getting a little too dangerous for all of us right now."

"So we'll go back to being careful?" She raised an eyebrow and a half smile.

"Sure."

Jupiter went back to staring at the ceiling. Caine knew something was wrong when she was this quiet. He reached a hand out and gave her a jab in the shoulder.

"Hey!"

"I don't like you quiet. What're you thinking?" he quizzed.

She shook her head, "nothing"

Caine became more insistent. "Your Majesty?"

Jupiter exhaled and turned back on to her side to face him. "Well...you're always talking about how different we are. From each other."

Caine didn't like where she was going with this. "and?"

"And after everything that's happened and thinking about the future I just think it wouldn't be such a bad idea for me to maybe get spliced too?"

"No!" Caine sat up shaking his head. "No way. Besides the fact that splicing happens in vitro so it's impossible for you now. Why in the hell would you want to be? None of us asked to be the way we are. There was no choice, no consultation and no damn manual. If we could, if I could, I'd choose to be normal in a second."

"Bullshit Caine!" Jupiter sat up now pulling one of Caine's shirts over her head. She padded over to the kitchenette to make coffee. "You would choose being human, being weak, vulnerable, dulled in almost all of your senses. This useless meat sack" she gestured to herself, "over being what you are all so you could fit in?"

"You have no idea."

"No Caine, you have no idea. We're prey, we're cattle! You're the hunter, the tracker, the warrior and you worship US?!" she shook her head again. "You've got everything ass backwards."

Caine sighed. "I'm gonna take a shower." they'd only just started speaking again and now it seemed maybe the silence wasn't so bad. How could she want to be a splice? They were mistakes, mutations, surely she could see that?

Jupiter hated that Caine still loathed so much of himself. When he got his wings back she thought maybe he'd come to terms with who and what he was but still he fought against himself and for the first time she wasn't sure it was a battle she could help him win. When he was out of air shot Jupiter took her cell phone and went out onto the terrace. She dialled a familiar number.

"Jupe?" It was Kiza's voice on the other end.

"Hey. He didn't go for it."

"I told you he wouldn't be a fan."

"I didn't even get past the splice part."

"I told you not to lead with that. You should have just told him you're looking at getting implants."

"You make it sound like a boob job"

"Fine, modifications."

"It would help me get stronger, for when the time comes."

"Then I guess wait until he calms down and come at it from a different angle? Caine's hard headed but he sees sense eventually."

Jupiter's phone buzzed in her ear. "Kiz, I got another call. I'll talk to you later ok?" She hung up on Kiza and picked up the other call. "Hello?"

"Hello Mother."

Jupiter nearly dropped the phone. "You killed my family you son of a bitch!"

Balem's raspy voice slithered down the line, "Now, now, that's no way to talk about yourself. I'm your son after all."

"You are NOT my son!"

"We don't have time for this. I need you to listen carefully. More lives will depend on it"

Jupiter remained silent.

"You are a quick study. It was unfortunate the way things turned out I think we can both agree."

"Unfortunate?" Jupiter's blood was boiling. "You killed my FUCKING FAMILY!"

"WHORE, YOU STOLE MY INHERITANCE!" Balem sighed, collecting himself. "Aren't we both such beautifully broken records. Here is what you are going to do for me."

"I won't do anything for you!" Jupiter spoke through gritted teeth.

Balem was smiling she could hear it in his voice. "Oh I think you will. I think you'll come to the co-ordinates I'm sending you now. You'll meet a transport there who will take you off world and to my ship. You'll abdicate your title and then you'll graciously step out of the air lock into welcome oblivion to join your beloved if not utterly crass family."

Jupiter swallowed, this didn't sound like it was a negotiation, but she had to know. "And if I don't?"

"Well Mother you're entirely within your right to refuse my offer. If you do not meet me at the allotted time, at the chosen destination I will kill the remainder of your rag tag family starting with Mr Apini, of course not after I take young, nubile, Miss Apini and sell her off to a very nasty skin trader. I'll let Mr Apini watch her be...initiated...violated? The two really are one and the same and she will receive the same, over and over and over again. Then I'll take your Caine and I will dissect him. I'll de-claw him and de-fang him and will tear out those pretty little wings of his and that's just the warm up. I've lived a very long time My Queen, I've learned a lot about how to inflict pain and how to make it last and i'll make you watch as he begs for death knowing that he couldn't save you.

So, Queen Jupiter, will you join me or will more have to perish?"

Jupiter couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening. She shut her eyes tight trying to choke down the tightening in her throat and the burning in her chest. She couldn't let Stinger or Kiza or Caine die, not because she was weak. This was war and in war a few lives saved thousands all over the damn planet. Caine may never forgive her but he would have to learn to live with it. She kept her eyes closed and exhaled.

"I'll come."

"Oh splendid. I do hope that it goes without saying that if you alert anyone to our plans, there will be dire consequences."

The phone went dead for a moment before it buzzed a text message. The coordinates that Balem was referring to and the time of the meet. It was at midnight. She had about 9 hours with Caine before then. She tried to steady her heart from racing and climbed back into bed.

Caine not long came out of the shower, a towel round his waist, still damp. Jupiter beckoned him over.

"You ok?"

She shook her head. "I don't wanna fight. Can you just come lie with me a while...please?"

And just like that the tension between them was gone. Caine didn't query or question. Just climbed into bed beside her and pulled her close letting her cling on to his strength instead of her own for once, not knowing that really it was going take all the strength she had to leave him tonight knowing she'd never see him again and that's when the tears came.