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This story is still a work-in-progress.
Liam hurriedly entered the guestroom with an enormous, wobbly stack of sandwiches. He could feel his stomach cramp and twist from hunger, although Da'an's big blue eyes seemed to have widened even more at the sight of the amount of food his Protector had every intention to consume.
'Are we expecting visitors?' the diplomat inquired quietly.
The young hybrid pointed his finger at the Taelon's slender form looking somewhat ridiculous when wrapped in three blankets. 'I'm not commenting on your heap of blankets, you're not commenting on my heap of food, and no-one gets compromised,' he said humorously before flinging himself into the armchair. 'Besides, I'm starving.'
Da'an blinked in response. 'I fear such amount of nourishment is… inadequate for a single human.'
Liam glanced at his stomach. He began to wonder if the diplomat had actually implied he was getting plump, but could not ask the question directly with his mouth already full.
'I am implying you could do yourself harm, Liam,' the Taelon tilted his head.
His Protector's eyes narrowed. 'Wait a minute… Have you… Have you sneaked into my mind?'
Da'an smiled innocently. In the aftermath of his joining with Liam their minds would stay linked for some time. Although as a being with telepathic skills, the Taelon could isolate not only his own thoughts, but the mental presence of their offspring as well, Liam was too inexperienced to be capable of creating a mental barrier of any level.
'Okay,' the man took a deep breath. 'I know it's hard for you to stay alone with your own thoughts without the Commonality, but for humans that's personal space. You can't just enter my mind like that.'
'I apologize. It was not my intention to intrude.'
A small smile brightened Liam's features as a sign that the apology had been accepted before he quickly resumed consumption. Da'an was observing him with growing curiosity. Clearly the Kimera part of his system required increased doses of energy to complete its next stage of development, but human nourishment was unlikely to assuage that hunger. Perhaps in the next few days his Protector might need to use an energy shower…
The Taelon blushed as the sensation of cold swept through his form again. Concerned for its parent's well-being, the child sent a mild inquiry through their telepathic link.
I am well, my child. Merely fatigued.
Carefully shielded from its parent's discomfort, the infant lapsed back into slumber. Da'an felt uneasy lying to his own offspring, but if it grew disturbed, the unpleasant side effects of carrying a matter-based child were likely to increase. He opened his eyes to meet Liam's suspicious gaze riveted upon him.
'I am well,' he said, anticipating his Protector's question.
'If this doesn't end in the next few hours, I'm going to call the human doctor who examined you when I brought you here.'
'This will not be necessary.'
The young hybrid frowned. 'This is extremely necessary. What you're experiencing isn't normal for a Taelon, and we both know it.'
Da'an said nothing. He was uncertain whether Liam was prepared for the information he would soon be forced to impart to him. In the past his Protector had frequently demanded answers with unwavering resolve so typical of humans, and it was only a matter of time until he began to demand them again. Obviously he would stand his ground, but a human doctor did not possess sufficient knowledge to assist in any possible way and the help of a Taelon healer was no longer an option. A medical examination conducted by an inexperienced physician might upset or even harm the infant, not to mention the danger which the gathered medical data would put both of them in if other individuals were to learn of the child's heritage.
'I do not require medical help,' the Taelon said after a moment of consideration. 'If you wish me to honour your privacy, I believe our agreement should apply… both ways.'
His Protector sighed as he rose from the armchair and slowly walked up to the wall. 'I'm setting the thermostat to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It's the most I can do if you don't want to see us all melt in here.'
'I am grateful for your help, Liam,' Da'an blushed, 'yet I am capable of dealing with the situation without causing you, or your human companions, discomfort. I have already become a,' he paused, mentally searching the human lexicon for the correct term, 'nuisance.'
Quite surprised by the confession, the young hybrid slowly seated himself on the opposite side of the bed. 'You're not a nuisance, nor have ever been one.'
'Had my species survived, your friends would consider me at the very least a threat if not their deadly enemy. My presence is tolerated for your sake, however we both know I am…,' the Taelon closed his eyes, 'unwelcome.'
'You're wrong, Da'an,' Liam protested.
'I wish such was the case.'
'It's more complicated than that. Being part of the Resistance has always meant approaching everyone outside the organization with distrust. This kind of attitude has saved more lives than you can imagine.'
The diplomat did not seem convinced, but as he was about to form an answer, his energy pathways brightened into a maze of pale cerulean. It was with some difficulty that he regained his human façade only to find his Protector's vivid green eyes staring at him.
'My standpoint remains,' he said before Liam could make another suggestion of calling a human healer.
'But just in case –'
'Your concern is appreciated, yet unnecessary at this time.'
The man sighed resignedly. He slid off the bed and approached its opposite end, hoping that rearranging the blankets would make Da'an more comfortable.
And then he stiffened. A burning sensation erupted in his palms, awakening his shaquarava. He instantly jerked back and squeezed his hands into fists, realizing that his Kimera legacy had slipped out of his control again.
Somehow Da'an did not fear this power as much as he did. Before Liam could protest, the Taelon's snow-white fingers came in contact with his skin and enclosed the deadly luminescence in their grasp. For this one moment, Liam felt his heart stop in his chest. His lips twitched. He thought an inevitable blast of energy would crash the Taelon against the wall, but for some reason nothing of the sort happened. As time passed by, he relaxed, feeling a soothing flow of cool Taelon energy ripple through his hands.
'You should keep away when things like that happen,' he said nonetheless. 'I don't want to hurt you.'
'You will not,' a small smile curved the diplomat's lips as he slowly uncurled Liam's fingers to reveal two whorls of light in the middle of his palms. 'You control your Kimera heritage on a subconscious level.'
'Until I learn to control it consciously, it poses a deadly threat to everyone around me.'
'To the contrary,' Da'an carefully placed his palms over the shaquarava. 'I have come to realize its power is as deadly as it is invigorating.'
Liam froze, expecting the worst, but the only thing he felt was the very same, gentle flow of energy intensify slightly before it reversed its direction. Streaks of luminescent molten gold from within his palms began floating into the Taelon's hands and not without astonishment the man realized that Da'an's pathways had resumed their natural, purplish hue.
Slowly, the snow-white palms slid away from Liam's burning shaquarava. The Taelon's eyes opened to reveal an astounding depth of bright azure.
'I feel much better now,' he said. 'Thank you.'
His Protector looked confused, watching the light in his palms fade. 'I didn't do anything.'
The diplomat tilted his head to the side as he gestured for Liam to take a seat by his side. Although to Da'an's growing amusement, his gesture triggered only greater confusion, the young hybrid eventually did as he was told. He had no clue as to what had just happened, and was hoping for some kind of an explanation, or a hint at least. Sadly, neither would come on its own. Taelons had always been persistently unwilling to share their secrets unless confronted about them directly.
'So, you're saying…' Liam began, quite unsuccessfully trying to analyze the situation in terms of a logical approach. 'You're saying that… I actually… I have no idea what you're saying,' in utter misery, he ran his hand through his face.
Da'an could feel the unborn child's amusement at its second parent's statement, and as a result found it hard to conceal his own. Feeling an increasing desire for regeneration, however, with a small smile on his lips, he rested his head on Liam's shoulder and closed his eyes.
The young hybrid fidgeted. He did not recall the North American Companion ever wishing for physical contact of his own free will; and now he was almost snuggled against his arm, drifting away in some kind of a deep meditation. Liam actually would not mind it if the large plate of sandwiches had not been left at the opposite end of the room. A grimace of discomfort twisted his face while his stomach rumbled, manifestly reminding him of his insatiable appetite. In an act of desperation, he uttered a quiet whine, which Da'an either did not hear or simply disregarded.
Thus, expecting the approaching night to be the longest one in his entire life, Major Liam Kincaid carefully rearranged the blankets and closed his eyes as well.
Da'an opened his eyes, feeling the child's mental activity increase. Driven by curiosity, its developing consciousness was striving to reach the mind of its second parent, but was continuously prevented from it by the mental barrier the Taelon had erected. At first the infant reacted with mild confusion, but its repeated, unsuccessful attempts to bypass the blockade eventually led to frustration.
Not yet, Da'an sent a feeling of mild reassurance through their telepathic link. Your presence would deeply confuse him.
The answer he provided resulted in yet another inquiry from the child.
The Taelon smiled at his offspring's inquisitiveness. He is not yet aware of your existence.
Again, the child was determined to know the reason, but this time the diplomat chose to keep his thoughts to himself, and patiently waited until the infant's consciousness drifted into a tranquil slumber.
The truth was, his initial unwillingness to disclose the outcome of the joining to Liam had been prompted by doubt. He had heard it was not uncommon among humans to reject and abandon their children, which strongly affected not only their development and self-esteem, but also future relations with other members of their kind. It was one of the reasons why he had created the Volunteers program in the past – to give these unwanted young people what their parents had clearly failed to provide.
Somehow he could not imagine any of his own children to suffer such trauma. Taelons never abandoned their offspring. Neither in the far-off days of prosperity, nor in the times when his race had found itself on the brink of extinction. When at the end of their journey his brethren had encountered a new sentient species, he had not believed any parent to be emotionally capable of abandoning their own child.
But despite the arguments of logic, humans did.
To a great extent, Liam behaved like a human being and Da'an still could not decide whether it was a blessing or a curse. Although the Kimera part of his consciousness would eagerly await their offspring, as a human his Protector was distrustful and quick-tempered. Since their relationship had long gone awry, the Taelon did not expect he would welcome the news with joy and dreaded the infant's distress upon experiencing a possible parental rejection.
Of course, he was well aware of Liam's complicated family history and his difficult relationship with his biological father; his desire for stability was visible in everything he did, and particularly in his determination to protect those he held dear. At some point in his life the young hybrid's longing for the family he lacked would prevail, but he would undoubtedly choose a human partner – one that could offer him a safe, carefree future, possibly devoid of complications and misunderstandings. The very life he had dreamed of, and the very life Da'an had simply no means to offer to him.
Slowly, the Taelon lifted his head from his Protector's shoulder, careful not to disturb his sleep. With a small smile he noticed that Liam was the one wrapped in blankets now, and the fact that small crystals of frost were climbing up the ends of his ruffled hair clearly explained why.
The thermostat.
Da'an glanced at the panel on the wall, quickly concluding that once his body temperature had returned to its normal level, he must have instinctively concentrated his mental energy on reprogramming the device. Delicate patterns of rime which wound around the carpet clearly testified that the temperature had fallen much below what humans perceived as comfortable. Concentrating his mental energy this time on a fully conscious level, Da'an adjusted the settings of the thermostat to ensure a comfortable environment adequate for a human. This settled, he rested his gaze on the young man's fine features.
Watching his Protector's youthful face while he was sleeping, he realized he had never had the opportunity to see him in such a tranquil state of mind. Not in the Embassy, and certainly not in his company… If such emotional peace was what humans described as happiness then perhaps Liam had already found understanding and acceptance… among his own species. The diplomat hesitated. The man in front of him was a good person. He deserved every bit of happiness there was to at least somewhat balance the pain he had so far experienced. Perhaps it would be best to quietly disappear before his human life was shattered beyond repair…
Haunted by a myriad of secrets, those which he had to keep and those he had not yet learned, the young man had a small number of friends to whom he had entrusted the truth about his Kimera heritage, and a high position in the Resistance, which seemed to play an important part in his life. He had little, but Da'an knew how much he cherished it… at least now he knew. A year before when he had betrayed the Resistance, Liam's fury and pain over a loss that could not have been avoided had unexpectedly exploded in the young man's eyes like flames of fire when he had stormed into the audience chamber.
Those flames might have long been gone, but the pain… lingered on.
The Resistance was Liam's only family, and that day he had lost nearly half of it. Although Da'an had always known that the conflict between humans and Taelons would at some point demand victims, his Protector's words spoken that day had left a deep scar; and Liam's wound was probably even deeper. Fate had been wrong all along; the brave new world which unfurled beneath a clear blue sky would offer neither of them solace. Their unborn child might mean hope for the future, but it would not erase the past; some wounds were simply too deep to ever heal.
Torn between the joy of carrying this new life within him and the despair over his species' final annihilation and his own uncertain fate, Da'an could not help a small sigh.
His Protector either was a light sleeper or the low temperature had finally begun to bother him, because his eyes cracked open at this barely audible sound – and then glazed over as the frost stung his eyeballs. He stiffened. As his muscles tensed, he felt every cell of his body whine in agony, and even a large gulp of air he had thoughtlessly inhaled seemed to be shattering his lungs with tiny shards of ice.
'Oh G-g-god,' he groaned, feeling his teeth beginning to chatter from the cold. 'What has hap-p-pened here?'
Da'an gazed at him with unblinking blue eyes. 'I believe I must have accidentally reprogrammed the thermostat,' he waved his hand in a typically Taelon manner. 'The temperature shall soon return to a comfortable level.'
Although his expression was still one of shock, Liam looked mildly suspicious, but could not gather his thoughts to form a logical answer. He felt as if his brain had been frozen. He moaned in frustration before he dived under the blankets, this time leaving only the tips of his toes out. The Companion could not help a smile at the view, which disappeared almost instantly when a gentle knock on the door sounded in the corridor.
'Come in,' Liam called without needing to ask who it was.
Da'an watched Juliet Street enter the room with a cup of tea and a strange expression on her face.
'Uh,' she raised an eyebrow seeing tiny crystals of frost shimmering all over the room. 'Celebrating Christmas in July?'
'Taelons can't seem to be able to stop exp-p-perimenting,' Liam's wry, trembling voice sounded from under several layers of thick covering.
Street grinned. 'Renee's going to be here in half an hour. She said you need to talk.'
'As soon as the winter's over,' the heap of blankets commented.
