Hello everyone! Before you dive into this chapter I must inform you that there will be some very mature themes present in this chapter, namely violence and rape. If you feel uncomfortable with any of these subjects, I recommend you skip Kirchoff's memory sequence at the end of the chapter.

"Time to wake up," Dr. Nigel said over the intercom. Her voice sounded cheerful, almost giddy.

"Uuuugh," Kirchoff mumbled. The cheerful tone of her voice made him feel even more crappy than he already was. Let me sleep.

"Wake up sleepyheads," she said again, louder this time. "I've got a surprise for you."

Kirchoff's ears twinged with pain and he curled up trying to blot out the sound. He felt Valen curl up tighter around him. That made him smile a bit. It felt nice to have a familiar presence literally surrounding him after the events of the past few days.

"Get up you two," Dr. Nigel sounded less amused. "Or I'll turn the siren on."

Both Kirchoff and Valen half jumped up from their position on the floor. Kirchoff sat up while Valen laid back down on the floor and tried to go back to sleep.

"Ooooh," Kirchoff moaned. His head was throbbing, his skin felt raw and sore and his eyes stung from the lights. Everything hurts.

Surprised? Valen didn't sound like his usual witty self. His mental voice was slower and somehow raspy. Valen picked up on Kirchoff's observation. What? Can't I have a morning voice?

No. Well yes, he floundered. It's just I didn't expect it, that's all.

Valen chuckled but didn't respond.

"How are you doing this morning Kirchoff?" Dr. Nigel asked. "Can you speak?"

His ears pricked, but Dr. Nigel was considerate enough to keep her voice down. He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a series of quiet gargles. He looked around the floor nearby, but he couldn't see the black communication tablet anywhere. Valen, where's my tablet?

Valen shifted slightly and pulled the tablet out from under his chest and presented it to Kirchoff, holding it between two of his claws. He took it from him and noted the tiny scratch marks Valen's claws had left on it's surface.

SYS: Communication Opened.

K: I'm sore everywhere, I have a really bad headache and I'm in a really bad fucking mood.

N: You should be grateful that you can still sit up.

K: No thanks to you, filling me with chemicals and electricity and crap.

N: Kirchoff, I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. I was backed into a corner and I had to proceed with the experiment or Dr. Gavin would have shut down Cantharides. I promise you I won't do anything like that again.

She is terrible isn't she? He asked.

Yes, she is terrible, Valen said. But there are others who are much worse than her. At least she feels remorseful for what she did to you. I can think of several other humans I have met who would love to harm you for having such an… intimate relationship with a Xenomorph. He got up from his position on the floor and walked over to a corner of the room to clean himself.

K: Whatever you say doctor. What's the surprise you have for us?

N: I managed to secure new living quarters for you and Valen.

K: Tell me about our new living quarters. Is it something roomy and open, or is it just an even larger white room.

N: I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I had to pull quite a few strings to get it, but I think you'll be impressed.

K: It'll take quite a bit to impress me at this point.

N: Then you won't be disappointed. You're going to be relocated in a few hours, so prepare yourself. I'll have breakfast sent down to your room. Do you still want oatmeal?

K: I'd rather eat a bowl of rocks. It has a better texture.

N: I'll send down some dry toast and water.

K: Thank you.

N: You're welcome. I'll let you know when you're going to be transferred.

SYS: Communication Closed.

Valen was in the middle polishing his claws when Kirchoff finished his conversation with the Dr. Nigel woman. Ever since his torturing, Valen always kept contact with Kirchoff's mind whenever he could. It also spared him the trouble of asking Kirchoff what the conversation was about, it was much easier to listen in.

So, new living quarters, he commented. Sounds exciting.

Exciting is the last thing I want right now, Kirchoff grumbled. He certainly wasn't at the top of his game today. In fact, he appeared to be rather disgruntled, not that he could blame him after all that had happened recently. He gently lowered himself down to lie on his back. I just want some time to relax.

Valen was content to lie down next to Kirchoff and relax with him.

Valen, what did you mean by the humans wanting to hurt me?

Other humans don't understand us like you do, he explained. And as a result they fear you. Humans… no, living things in general, fear what they don't understand. There are a few exceptions, like Dr. Nigel, but I'd imagine other humans would take great pleasure in making you squirm.

Is that why you want me to live with you?

It's one reason out of many, Valen said. It was then he realized that Kirchoff might not know the level affection he felt for him. It was obvious that Kirchoff trusted him, but he had no idea how Kirchoff felt towards him. Even with his ability to literally read minds, it was hard to identify specific emotions unless they were very strong and were being expressed when he was in contact with a person's mind. If Valen could look into his own mind, it would be hard for him to identify his affection towards Kirchoff unless he was thinking about Kirchoff and how strongly he felt towards him. It was a bit of a confusing concept and even Valen hadn't figured out all of it's intricacies yet.

The possibility of Kirchoff not reciprocating his feelings was something Valen needed time to think about, but now was not that time. He could sit down and work out his feelings later.

Are you okay? Kirchoff shuffled closer and he backed away shyly.

I'm the one who should be asking you that.

Alright, you're just acting really... weird, Kirchoff lowered himself back onto the floor.

I'm not acting weird! he exclaimed indignantly.

You keep telling yourself that, he chuckled. Whenever you want to tell me why you're acting weird…

Which I'm not.

...I'll be happy to listen, Kirchoff finished.

They sat together for a while, waiting for Dr. Nigel to contact them again, but after about half an hour of doing nothing but waiting, Kirchoff began to get bored. He yawned and tried to stretch, but his body gave a shriek of protest, which did not help his foul mood.

Damn, I hurt all over, he moaned.

I guess it doesn't feel so good when you're on the receiving end of the stick, Valen retorted.

He knew that Valen was probably just trying to make a joke, but something about his remark just rubbed him the wrong way. Back off Valen, I'm not in the mood.

What's with the attitude all of a sudden?

What's with the attitude? I'll tell you what's with the attitude. I'm sore as hell from being tortured not three days ago and you go and give me hell for it when I try and complain about it!

What do you want me to do about it? Valen sounded hurt by his sudden outburst. It's not like I can just make the pain go away?

Well why don't you just kill me now! He shouted, throwing as much annoyance behind his words as possible. It'd make my life a hell of a lot easier!

Out of nowhere Valen pounced on Kirchoff, pinned his arms down with his clawed hands and sat himself on his legs. He brought his face close to his until he could smell his breath. Despite the situation, he noticed that his breath didn't smell as bad as he thought it would. In fact it had a faintly sweet scent to it.

Don't talk like that! Valen shouted in his head. He still had a nasty headache and Valen's words in his mind made his head throb harder.

Calm down Valen, Kirchoff said as soothingly as he could. I didn't mean it like that!

No! I won't calm down! Valen screamed. Literally screamed. His inner mouth was extended so it was right above his and it was emitting a long, horrible, screeching wail. I nearly lost you so many times! Do you have any idea what it's like to almost lose the only person you care about?

As a matter of fact, yes. I know exactly what it feels like to lose someone you love, Kirchoff said in a deliberately calm voice. Valen stopped screaming and just stared at him. Kirchoff could feel that he was still angry and upset, but he was also curious. He was giving him an opportunity to explain. However, that was a part of his past that he felt was better left untouched, but he could see no other way that he could get Valen to get off of him. Before I was hired to work here, I had no one I cared about in my life. My mother was dead, my father refused to speak to me and my two brothers were drafted into the Colonial Marines. I was swamped in seven years of student debt and I couldn't hold down a job for more than a month. Being a Xenologist doesn't exactly provide great employment opportunities. I had even contemplated suicide multiple times, but I could never bring myself to do it. Then I met someone who made me feel special. Someone who made me feel that my life was worth living after all… and then I lost her.

Valen showed no signs of moving. Kirchoff guessed he wasn't satisfied with his simple explanation. He heaved a sigh and continued. Valen... I've never told anyone this story before, so please try not to interrupt me until I'm finished.

He took a deep breath, then began to speak. I was just rejected for a weaponry research position with the military or something along those lines. I can't remember much from those days since I was drunk most of the time.

That night I went to a bar in a rough part of town. A real dirty place too, not somewhere anybody decent should be hanging around. Right after I got there some kind of gang fight broke out in the street outside. I heard shooting and shouting outside, so I thought it might be a good time to leave and I tried to leave through the back alley. Unfortunately for me, several gang members decided to wait in the exact same alley. They attacked me and… and...

Kirchoff stopped speaking. He had repressed that particular memory for over ten years beneath a veil of alcohol and denial. Speaking about it openly for the first time made the memories of that horrible night come flooding back to the forefront of his mind.

Kirchoff stumbled out of the bar and into the alleyway. It was dark, smelly, humid and all around unpleasant. There were doorways that led to neighboring establishments along the walls of the alley and the floor was an assortment of trash, empty bottles and other things Kirchoff couldn't identify. He started to pick his way along the alley, trying his best to avoid the filth on the floor. Before he made his way to the end of the alley, a hand stabbed out of a doorway to his left and seized him by the shoulder.

"And where do ya think yer goin'?" a snarling voice asked. The hand on his shoulder yanked and Kirchoff tumbled off balance and slammed into a wall. He could barely see in the dim light of the alley, but there was enough for him to make out the silhouettes of two men. One was looked very thickset and the other one was tall and very skinny.

"Look at this one," the tall skinny one said with a high squeaky voice. "Quite the looker ain't he?"

"Eh, seen better," the other man replied. Compared to the tall man, the thickset man's voice was deep and raspy. "Still, he ain't half bad."

"Well, we gonna break 'im in?" the squeaky man asked. He sounded eager about something.

"Excuse me," Kirchoff said in a quiet voice.

"Oi Barry, you hearin' this faggot?"

"Yeah, sounds like quite the little bitch, doesn't he," Barry replied. "Hey faggot, are you a bitch?"

"What?"

Barry grabbed Kirchoff by the hair and pulled him to his feet. His face was uncomfortably close to Barry's. He could smell his breath. "I asked if you were a bitch. What, are you deaf too?"

"No," Kirchoff said. He was wincing from the Barry pulling on his hair.

"Oh, really. Ya' sure look like a bitch, faggot," Barry sneered.

"I'm not a faggot either," Kirchoff said through gritted teeth. Barry's grip on his hair was rock solid and it hurt like hell.

"Not a faggot? You hearin' this Tim?" Barry asked the other man. "Real piece of work."

Barry turned his attention back to Kirchoff. "Don't try an' lie to me. I know that you snuck outta that ratty-ass gay bar. I saw you m'self."

Kirchoff went pale. He had always tried to keep that tidbit of information a secret, but he supposed there was no point in trying to hide it. "Alright, fine. I'm gay. You happy now?"

"I will be in a minute once I'm done with you." Barry had an unpleasant slime on his face that gave Kirchoff the creeps. A second set of arms, probably belonging to Tim, grabbed his arms and pinned them behind his back. Tim forced Kirchoff into a kneeling position on the filthy floor of the alley.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Kirchoff asked. He was starting to panic now.

"I think you're smart enough to figure that out ya little bitch," Tim said menacingly from behind him. Kirchoff looked up at Barry's silhouette outlined by the light coming from the nearby street. The shadow reached down and Kirchoff heard the sound of a fly unzipping.

"No! Please no!" Kirchoff begged. He squirmed and writhed in the iron grip Tim had him in. "Please, I'll do anything!"

"Well then I hope you're good at blowin'," Barry chuckled. "Open up bitch."

Kirchoff clamped his mouth tight shut.

"C'mon, don't be like that." Barry rasped. He raised a hand and smacked Kirchoff across the face. Kirchoff grunted in pain, but he kept his mouth shut. Barry smacked him again, and again, and again until he couldn't keep his jaw clenched. He let his jaw go limp and his mouth dangle semi-open.

"There, isn't that better?" Barry grabbed Kirchoff by the hair again and shoved his face against his groin. Kirchoff did his best to keep his face away from Barry's crotch, but he was still too dazed to struggle for long. Eventually, Kirchoff gave up and accepted the inevitable.

"There we go," Barry said with a sigh. He was still holding on to Kirchoff's hair and was using it to move his head back and forth. Kirchoff was in a daze. Everything had happened so quickly it didn't seem real. He didn't know how long he was there, down on his knees sucking Barry off. After what seemed like an eternity Barry let out a groan and finished. Kirchoff gagged and choked as he came.

"C'mon, swallow it," Barry sneered. Kirchoff shuddered and swallowed. "There we go. Now it's Tim's turn."

Tim let out a wheezing laugh that sounded like a deflating balloon. Barry and Tim switched positions without much struggling on Kirchoff's part. Tim grabbed Kirchoff's hair the same way that Barry did, but Kirchoff could feel his hands trembling in excitement. Tim unzipped his pants and Kirchoff didn't even bother to struggle this time. He just opened his mouth and waited for the inevitable. Tim didn't take nearly as long as Barry did to do his business and he finished almost as soon as he started.

"Alright Tim, I think our work is done 'ere," Barry said.

Thank god, Kirchoff thought.

"Just one thing left," Barry said in a quiet voice. Without warning, he swung his leg back and kicked Kirchoff in the ribs. Hard. Kirchoff heard the crunch of several of his ribs breaking and he fell to the ground breathless.

"That," he rasped. "Is for being such a whiny little bitch. C'mon Tim, let get outta 'ere."

The sound of their footsteps faded back down the alley and into the street. Kirchoff didn't bother to move. Instead he lay in the damp and the filth of the alleyway in pain. Since he had lost any sense of the passing of time, it felt like mere seconds when he heard another set of footsteps in the alley emanating from the direction Barry and Tim had left. Maybe Tim had come back for more since he barely got any action.

The person in the alley spoke, and it wasn't Barry or Tim. It was a new voice. A feminine voice.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Let me know what you think of the new and updated chapters! I always love to hear from you guys! Leave a review, or PM me if you have any other questions or suggestions!