Phoenix shivered as they rode their horses, the cold wind wrapping around him. "I hope we get there soon. I want to take care of these aliens and then go crawl into the fireplace at Grandpa's cabin," he said. He cast a sideways glance at Alice, still unsure of how to feel about what had happened the night before. "At least you're part Namek and it doesn't bother you as much. I think I'm kinda jealous," he teased.

Alice gave him a small smile as they rode along, side by side. "Yes well, if it were a choice between being cold and hearing what I do every hour of every day, I think I'd rather suffer the weather." She gave him a look. "We could trade if you prefer?" she asked innocently, hiding the smirk on her face at his expression. She let her fingers curl into the mane of her horse, breathing in the cool air. "But, I have to say. A fire sounds wonderful right now. With some hot chocolate and mini marshmallows on top."

"Ooooooo, hot chocolate," Phoenix said longingly, a dreamy look crossing his face for a minute. He shook his head violently and shot her an accusatory look. "Shame on you. Now I'm going to be thinking about that for the rest of the day. When this is all said and done, you owe me hot chocolate." He smiled as they rode along; he was glad that things didn't feel awkward between them. Well, at least she didn't act like anything was weird. He still wasn't sure what to think or feel. Last night had been nice, kissing her, holding her as they slept. But what did it all mean? She'd pulled away from him, then told him it was nice. He was starting to understand why everyone always said women were confusing. Because he was confused as hell.

"Perhaps we like to be confusing as to keep you on your toes," Alice said. She was trying to ignore his thoughts. She really was. But Phoenix was not a quiet person and his thoughts mirrored that. She looked over at him, giving him a smile, "I didn't mean to be confusing. It took me by surprise is all. This may come as a shock to you, but I have absolutely no social tact."

Phoenix slapped a hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. 'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' He dropped his hand and looked at her, knowing she heard his thoughts then for sure. "You think?" he asked dryly. "Good lord, woman, how do you expect me to be able to sort out my thoughts if I have to worry about you reading them?" He sighed. "I know you can't help it. But I can't help how loud my thoughts are, either. Especially when they're bugging me so much." He dropped the reins and scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Narrrrrrg, I can't make my head shut up."

Alice nodded. "I am trying not to, but think of it like a conversation as you would person to person. The louder someone is talking, the harder it is to ignore and you can't but help picking up on those juicy tidbits of information. It doesn't help me being this close to you, though, I have a thought that you are like a beacon. I could probably pick up your thoughts even if you were on the other side of the world." She chuckled, "I can try harder, if it bothers you."

"Only bothers me when I'm thinking about you," he answered, then blushed as he realized what he'd said. "I mean… I… argh!" He let his chin drop to his chest in defeat. Maybe he really did need to learn this meditation stuff so he could control his thoughts. "Can we just go back to thinking about hot chocolate?" he asked almost pitifully. But then his thoughts turned to sharing hot chocolate with her, both of them some place away from the pain and the anger and the drama of the world, and his face burned again. "I give up."

Alice laughed, pure and real. She hadn't felt like laughing like that in a long while. Phoenix was endearing and wonderful. A distraction all his own. "Be at ease. It is refreshing to share this with you. It is better than what is normally shared with me. If you like, after we have you master meditation, I can help teach you to keep your thoughts... more to yourself. Almost like using an inside voice for your head."

"I'd like that," he said. Maybe it would be nice to have a quiet moment in his head for once. "Thanks, Alice. You know, for putting up with me." He gave her a small smile before he looked ahead and slowed his horse to a stop. "What is that?" he asked, looking ahead. There was a vehicle of some sort and someone was cursing as he kicked at it. "Alice, can you tell who that is?" He didn't know whether they should approach the person and see if he needed help, or if they should turn their horses the other way and run for it. "Who would be all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? Is… Is that one of the aliens?" He felt an anger surge through him then. Oh, how he would love to get his hands on one of them right about now.

Alice slowed her horse to a stop as well, her ears twitching as she listened. "Yes. Apparently he is cursing at a broken down vehicle. One of his arms is wounded and he cannot use it. Strange. He's muttering how the attack came from nowhere. Arrows appearing out of thin air." She shook her head and looked back the way they had come. "He couldn't have come from the cabin. Is that even possible?"

Phoenix frowned. "Unless he got past us somehow. If he took a different route through the forest it's possible. Especially in a vehicle. We haven't exactly been racing the horses towards the compound, have we?" He dismounted the horse, his tail twitching anxiously as he stared at the alien. "If he was out by the cabin, he might've been one of the ones to kill my mother," he growled. "And even if he wasn't, he has no place here." He reached into his bag and withdrew a hunting knife Tien had given him some time ago. "I'll kill him," he growled.

Alice dismounted as well. "Be careful, Phoenix," she said. The world, the earth was not pleased with the aliens that had come to the planet. They caused so much pain and destruction. Ripped families and the world apart. The very balance was upset. She remembered the look on Rose's face when she told her that her mother had died at the alien's hands. That her father was captured and had been forced to endure tortures no one should. She narrowed her eyes at the alien, feeling a coolness sweep through her. "Do it. Kill him."

Phoenix stalked forward; the alien was totally distracted by the vehicle he was trying to repair. An arrow still protruded from his arm, though he had tied a rough bandage around it. Phoenix smirked to himself. Well that seemed about fair, he thought as he remembered being shot in his own arm by one of the aliens. "Car trouble?" he asked, tipping his head to the side with an amused smirk on his lips as the alien jumped and banged his head on the open hood of the vehicle. "Looks like you ran into some trouble."

"Sonuvabitch!" the alien hissed and clapped a hand to the top of his head, looking at the two strangers through streaming eyes. He wondered if they knew who or what he was, if he could use them to his advantage. He was already in trouble with Avriel, he knew that. If he showed up empty handed back at base, their leader was sure to have his head. With his arm practically useless, he was going to have a hard time making it back to base at all. He hadn't known what to do with the arrow. Take it out and bandage it? He'd always been told to leave it in, that pulling out an object from a wound was bad. So he'd tied a bandage around it while leaving the arrow in place. Still, it hurt like no tomorrow. Oyxlin would know how to fix him up.

He eyed the two people before him. They were young, late teens he guessed. The young woman with her skinny, lanky frame didn't look too intimidating. But the kid with the wild long black hair was built like a brick shithouse. "Ah, actually, yeah," he stammered, hoping they had lived far enough out here that perhaps they weren't fully aware of his kind. "Damn thing broke down on me."

Phoenix tsked. "That's a shame," he said, the false sympathy dripping from his voice. His tail flicked behind him, his muscles tensing in preparation of attacking the alien before him. Yet something nagged at the back of his head. How had this alien managed to slip past them? Had he and Alice veered off course? Maybe if he could get some information out of the alien, he could find out a little more about the compound, maybe even get inside the vehicle and make sure they were on the right path. He slid his knife into the back of his belt, making sure the alien didn't see him. He jerked his chin towards the alien's arm. "Looks like you ran into more than one kind of trouble."

The alien glanced at his arm with a growl. "Yeah. I think that forest is haunted," he said, gesturing with his good arm. "Arrows came out of nowhere. Nowhere, I tell you! Everyone's dead, save for me. I… I need to get back." His eyes went to Alice again, something clicking in the back of his mind. She didn't look human at all. He remembered seeing someone similar to her at the compound and he narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn't spent a lot of time at base since they'd arrived on the planet. He'd mostly been out on patrols, but he did remember catching glimpses of a Namekian prisoner. She didn't have antennae like the other, and her green skin was a fair shade paler, but she had to be one of them. And if Avriel was holding that Namek specifically, perhaps bringing her in as a captive would gain him some favor with their leader.

He looked to Phoenix again, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the tail. How he hadn't noticed it before, he didn't know, but he reasoned that he must've hit his head harder than he thought. But there was no mistaking that tail. Here they were, a Namek and a Saiyan, with seemingly no weapons on them out in the middle of nowhere. Oh, maybe his luck was about to change after all. Still, he told himself to stay calm, not make any sudden moves. He had to play this carefully if he hoped to capture them both.

"Hey, kid, you any good at mechanics?" he asked Phoenix. "With this bum arm, I can't do anything. Think you can help me out?"

"Sure, I can take a look," Phoenix answered. 'LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND OUT ANYTHING USEFUL BEFORE I KILL HIM,' he thought loudly to Alice. He cringed when he saw her cringe. 'Sorry. Guess I don't have to think that loud to let you know my thoughts, huh?' He moved carefully, looking around the strange vehicle before him. He really didn't know what he was looking at. Goten was better at this sort of thing than he was, always playing with that old truck. He wished he and Alice could've taken it instead of the horses, but it was out of fuel.

He walked around the side of it, peering into the interior. He barely recognized the steering wheel, much less anything else about it. "The fuck is this?" he murmured. He scanned the inside for weapons, anything he could use against the alien instead of just the knife he had in his belt, but saw nothing. "Damn," he whispered. He jumped when he heard Alice scream and ran around the front of the vehicle, skidding to a halt when he saw the alien with a blade to Alice's throat, holding her against him with his injured arm. "Let her go!"

The pain of using his bad arm was all over the alien's face, yet his eyes danced with victory. "No way, kid. I know what the two of you are. I'm screwed if I go back empty-handed. Now do as I say or I'll slit her throat!"

Alice stared at Phoenix, her eyes wide as she felt the blade pressed to her throat, a slight sting as the sharp weapon sliced her skin faintly. She had no doubt this alien would kill her if need be. Phoenix was the real prize. Though, she could sense hesitation in him. If he could, he wanted to bring them both back alive to the compound. She swallowed hard, this was going to end badly either way. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her mind was strangely calm as she looked at Phoenix. As if the world around her was slowing down, she felt safe. She almost shuddered to think of what it would be like to be near him after this crisis was over. Could he help her at the lookout? Keep her grounded and give her extra strength when she needed it? By the gods, she wanted to find out.

Fear like he had never known wrapped around Phoenix's heart at the sight of the thin trickle of blood on the alien's blade. His lip curled in a snarl as a low, feral growl rumbled in his throat; the sound so animalistic, he nearly startled himself. He couldn't let anything happen to Alice. He just couldn't. He met her eyes, feeling a strange calm come over him. Nothing would satisfy him more than to absolutely slaughter the alien threatening her life. But there was no way to close the space between them without Alice getting hurt. And that wasn't an option; she was too important to the planet. To their family. To him.

Phoenix raised his hands and dropped to his knees. "Take me," he said. "Just don't hurt her. I'll do anything. Just please don't hurt her." It was too late; the alien had already hurt her as far as Phoenix was concerned.

"Smart kid," the alien said. "On your knees," he barked at Alice and kicked the back of her leg, dropping her to the ground. He moved the knife to his mouth, holding it with his teeth as he fished in a pouch on his belt to withdraw a pair of cuffs, keeping his eyes on Phoenix. This would've been so much easier if he had use of both arms. He muttered a curse and looked down at his belt for a split second.

Phoenix launched himself the instant he saw his chance, diving over Alice's shoulder to tackle the alien to the ground. "How dare you lay a finger on my Alice!" he roared as the alien tried to fight him off. "I'll kill you for hurting her!"

Alice stumbled away as Phoenix attacked with such ferocity to rival even his grandfather's anger when his family was threatened. Her heart fluttered when she heard his words, how protective he was, he sounded of her. It felt nice. Better than nice. To finally be the one to be cared for instead of the one caring for the entire world. She raised a hand to her neck, feeling the blood there. She closed her eyes and used a little magick to heal the cut before she opened her eyes again to watch Phoenix fighting with the alien.

Phoenix punched the alien in the face before he pushed himself to his knees and pulled the knife from the back of his belt. Without hesitation, he stabbed the alien in the chest before the man could even shout a word of protest. Over and over he plunged the knife into the alien until the body beneath him was completely still. "No one ever hurts her," he hissed and spat on the body as he got to his feet. He could feel blood dripping down his face, it covered his hands, arms, his shirt. He shook with adrenaline as he turned to look at Alice. "Are you okay?" he asked, his breathing shaky and uneven.

Alice moved to him, looking him over, but none of the blood was his own. "I am. Thank you. If you hadn't acted when you did, I imagine we would be captured. Though, he wasn't going anywhere fast. I doubt we would have trouble taking over him." She shook her head and pulled Phoenix close, kissing his bloody lips. This felt right, her mind still calm, replaying the scene over and over again.

Phoenix's eyes went wide as she kissed him, but the next moment they fell closed as he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. Gods, that felt good to hold her like that, to feel her lips pressed against his own. He softly broke the kiss and touched her chin, lifting her face so he could inspect her neck. She'd already healed herself. "I don't know how you do what you do," he said softly as he tilted her head back down to look in her eyes. "But keep doing it."

Alice licked her lips, tasting the alien's blood there and she could feel her eyes dilating at the flavor. The image of bathing in his blood came to her and she blinked a moment later. She didn't think like that. She peered at Phoenix curiously, wondering if it was his thought or if it was the influence of the moon. A blood moon. That was what was on the way. "We will bathe in the blood of our enemies soon. Clothing will be optional."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow at her. "That's kinda dark for you, Ally," he said. A shiver raced down his spine; clothing optional? He searched her eyes, trying to understand if she was just teasing him or if it was some sort of invitation for something more. Gods, she was impossible to read. "I don't even know what to think of you these days," he chuckled and leaned his forehead against hers, giving her another quick kiss on the lips.

Alice smiled at him. "I'm blaming you and the moon for my current state of mind," she said as she wiped a drop of blood off of his cheek and carefully sucked on the digit. "Then when we have destroyed the machine, we will see if I still feel like blood bathing."

Phoenix shivered again as he watched her suck her own finger. His length hardened, straining against his jeans and he nearly whimpered. How such a simple gesture could arouse such strong feelings in him, he didn't know. He cursed the noon sun, wishing it was closer to dark so he would have an excuse to set up a tent and lay down with her, hold her close, kiss her, maybe more if she wanted. He mentally shook himself. They didn't have time for that. They had to keep moving, they had to save their family. But by the gods, all he wanted to do was hide away with her for a while until they could both figure out what they were feeling.

"Alice," he said in a low, soft voice, "We… we have to keep going. I mean, my dad, your dad, Vegeta, they're all still trapped. Tomorrow night's the full moon. We don't have much time." Something snapped in his mind; when the hell did he become the responsible one? He blinked his eyes harshly at the thought. Oh to hell with it. One more minute wouldn't hurt. With a smile he kissed her again, smothering her mouth with his own, pressing himself against her.

Alice smiled against him, drinking him in a moment before she pulled back. "They are counting on us. We need to get as far as we can today, the closer the better. I am not sure how long it will take you to walk the distance once you change, but we do not want to waste one precious moment once that has happened," she said as she looked back down at the alien, reaching down to him to pull out the arrow in his arm. "This belongs to Tien. He must have been trying to find the way to the cabin but could not get in."

"At least Tien got him good," Phoenix smiled. "Come on. Let's get going." He looked over at the vehicle, but shook his head. "I was hoping I could get that thing running, but it's beyond me. Weird alien technology. Looks like we're still stuck on horseback." He took her hand in his, his heart soaring as he helped her onto her horse. He gave her a smile and kissed her hand. "We'll cover as much ground as we can today. And then maybe meditate tonight?"

Alice gave him a small smile. "That is my plan. You seem much more agreeable about transforming. Hopefully the meditation has been helping with your fears. And I will be at your side during the whole event. You needn't worry about losing yourself. Not with my help," she said as she watched him climb onto his horse. Her hand tingled pleasantly where he kissed her and she smiled again. It was something she could get used to.

"I'm not going to lie and say I'm not still nervous about it," he admitted as they urged their horses forward. "But there's something about you that calms me down. Maybe it really could work, you know? Because honestly, at this point, it's the only plan we've got." He paused and looked at her, "I trust you, Alice. If you think it's a good plan, then that's what we'll do."

She looked over at him, a sincere expression on her face. "Thank you, Phoenix. It means a lot to me that you would say that. I hope it works as well, it is our best shot at freeing our fathers. Our family. I need to get this right, to prove that I can be the guardian that earth needs. But I cannot do it alone. I see now that the world is too big for just one person."

"Well, you know, Dende didn't do it alone," he said thoughtfully. "You shouldn't have to, either. Honestly, how can one person take on the entire world? That's crazy!" He grabbed at his hair as he thought about it. "I mean, good grief. No one should have to do that alone. It isn't fair that they expect you to." He chewed his lip for a moment as they rode along, wondering if he could be for her what Rose was for Dende. "I mean, you know, if you want someone to help you," he said uncertainly.

Alice looked ahead as they guided their horses on. "I am open to the idea, that is, if you think you would be a good fit for the job," she said as she looked over at him, "That and you have to pass father's expectations. I do not have to remind you about what happened with Goten, do I?"

Phoenix paled. Piccolo hadn't even crossed his mind. "You, ah, think that if I help save his life, he might go easy on me?" he asked with a nervous chuckle. He rubbed at the back of his head; were they really having this conversation? It excited and terrified him all at the same time. He looked at her again, wondering what had changed about her to him. And although he couldn't figure it out, he found he didn't care. Just looking at her made butterflies flutter in his stomach. "Well, I can try. If you don't think I'm too loud and obnoxious."

Alice chuckled. "Do not worry. You don't share Goten's ah... history with women. Besides, now is the best time to do it after we get him out of the compound. He will be all about the grandbaby when we get him to the cabin." She smiled, "My father has been waiting a while for this child. You know he and my mother were trying for another baby. A boy. It was going to be the first child the actually planned to have together. No surprises, no disappointment."

"That was when your mom was sick, right?" he asked. "I don't really remember it, but I've heard our family talk about it. Piccolo's gonna have to fight Grandpa off if he wants to hold the baby. Did you see the way he all but stole him away from your sister?" He laughed at the way his grandfather had been squirming to hold the baby. But his smile fell the next moment. "You know I don't think I heard what they named the baby before we left."

Alice reached over and patted his arm. "I don't think they named him just yet. Paige has been torn between a couple of names for a while now and just because she's had the child doesn't mean she feels rushed to name him. You know how Paige is. She never settles for anything less than the absolute best."

Phoenix laughed. "Yeah. Still can't figure out how she ended up with Goten, then," he joked and shot Alice a wink. "C'mon. Let's hurry up. I'm actually looking forward to meditating tonight."

Phoenix dropped the saddle on the ground and ran his fingers through Jasper's mane. "Sorry, buddy, didn't mean to push you so hard today," he said softly. The horse was sweaty and panting as he leaned his face against Phoenix's side. Phoenix rubbed affectionately at his face, then gave him a gentle shove. "Go on. Take Pumpkin and get some rest." He chuckled as Pumpkin gave a happy buck and the two of them trotted off down to the creek to get a drink. "Weird animals," he muttered and turned to face Alice.

The moon was rising over the horizon and he could feel its pull already. There was only one more night until the full moon. He was struck by Alice's beauty in the moonlight. Her pale pink hair shone, her smooth skin the most incredible shade of green. But it was the light in her eyes that stole his breath away.

"So, ah, meditating. Yeah," he said and rubbed at the back of his head. How was he supposed to concentrate now, with thoughts of her swimming through his mind? He moved to sit down on the cold ground and crossed his legs, looking to her for instruction again. "I'm going to try, but you know how bad I am at this," he laughed.

Alice smiled warmly at him, moving to sit next to him, their knees touching gently. She could feel the world quiet down as they made contact. She closed her eyes, reaching over and taking one of his hands in her own. "Does this help?" she asked quietly as she let herself slip into a semi meditative trance and she began gathering the moons energy once more. She had saved up quite a bit over the past few months. Strongest during the full moon for her. She wondered if anyone else could do this, could utilize this strength. She doubted it.

Phoenix wasn't quite sure that Alice touching him helped at all. While it certainly made the anger and the grief disappear, those emotions were quickly replaced by something much stronger and even more distracting. Still, he let his eyes fall closed as he sat up straighter and curled his fingers around Alice's hand. He concentrated for a moment, feeling the moon's energy surging through him. "It's so frustrating," he whispered without opening his eyes. "I feel like a live wire. I can feel the moon's energy running through me, but I can't use it. I can't grasp onto it. Usually it's like it just builds in my system. But now it just slips away."

Alice smiled faintly. "That's because you are trying to think of it like normal energy. It is not. It normally comes in and is immediately exerted through physical actions. It is more mental. It is probably the same reason that you have not yet mastered your transformation yet. I can help you focus that energy," she said as she slipped into his mind carefully, creating extra space, so to speak, "Store it here."

"Okay, now you're seriously, like, IN my head," he said. "Yer creepin' me out, Smalls." He snickered, but sobered the next moment when he remembered this was serious. He concentrated for a moment, imagining an empty space. It was easy with Alice's hand in his, the way she calmed him down. His breathing leveled out, his muscles relaxing, and when he spoke again, his voice was soft and low, "Don't go poking around in here too much. You might end up scarred for life."

Alice allowed herself another smile, she seemed to be doing that more often with him. "Don't worry. Everyone masturbates," she murmured, keeping her serious soft tone level.

"Really, Alice?" he asked in a dry tone. He huffed, but blushed all the same. "Yeah, but do you really wanna see what I think about when I do that?" he teased back.

Alice chuckled. "Not particularly. Now focus. You have a place for the energy to stay inside of you. You just need to focus on drawing it in and storing it for later. I am not sure how this will affect you. I am not Saiyan, but I have been able to contain it without incidence. You... I am not so certain. You may have complications. Downstairs."

"I'm gonna have complications if you don't stop distracting me with naughty thoughts," he answered. He drew a deep breath, feeling the energy of the moon, trying to direct it to the space he'd imagined in his mind. He could feel it surging through his body, but instead of it whisking away again, he imagined it moving towards that space in his mind, glowing softly there. He nearly jumped, but forced himself to focus. "I… I think I've got it," he breathed. "But Alice, how will this help? I mean, we figure the moon's going to transform me anyway. That's not the problem. The problem is making sure I don't smash you and our dads to pieces once I do transform."

"You will leave that for me to worry about. You will transform and this will give you an extra boost, a brief moment of clarity. When that happens, you will pick me up and place me on your shoulder. From there, I will be able to help your mind stay focused and you can concentrate on the task at hand. No alien survives tomorrow. We destroy their main base, give power back to the world and the fighters will be able to take back the planet."

He tried to control his breathing as more of the moon's energy built up in his system. He whined and squirmed. "I'm getting restless," he muttered, his brow creasing as he tried to relax. The moon always made him hyper, jittery, and it was on those days that he spent so much time sparring with anyone who would give him the time of day. His tail swished through the grass and his grip on her hand tightened. "I haven't felt this in awhile," he said. "I don't know how this is working, but it is. But it's getting me wound up."

"And for that I am going to apologize for. We cannot have you waste this energy once it is stored. Otherwise, I think I might be tempted to help you out. We will have to explore that later. Do you think you can take a bit more? Just a little bit more, take it in until you are full, until you think you cannot possibly retain anymore."

Phoenix tipped his head to the side. "Help me out? You mean you'd spar with me?" he asked curiously. He cracked his eye open to see her staring at him with an unimpressed expression on her face. "What?" he asked, but jumped the next moment when he realized what she actually meant. "Oh! Oh. Yeah, that's one way to work off some energy, I suppose," he said and rubbed at the back of his head.

She smiled. "You wouldn't want to get into my head, it is never easy living with other Nameks. Or being around other people, I should say. Our ears hear things no person should hear outside of closed doors. I will leave it at that, but as I said. You must endure until after tomorrow night. I assume that you will have other things on your mind then."

Phoenix wrinkled his nose. "Sorry you hear stuff like that. Parents. Bluh," he gagged and shuddered. "Yeah, no one wants to hear that. But yeah, tomorrow night that won't even be on my mind. I don't think anything will be on my mind if we really go through with this." He rubbed at his hair again and exhaled slowly. He could feel his stomach twisting in painful knots and he met her eyes. "I'm really scared about tomorrow night, Alice. Without Tora and Vegeta there to control me, to help me, I'm so afraid of hurting my dad or your dad. Or you." The last part was the one that frightened him the most.

"You will not need them. You will be in control. I promise you that. I will help you. You will be as you are now. Fully aware, capable of discerning from the aliens and us. You will have everything you need to destroy those who have taken so much from us." She could still see the worry in his eyes, "You have to trust me, trust yourself. You stand on the edge of something great. Do not be afraid to leap."

"You really believe in me that much?" Phoenix asked. Even he could hear the vulnerability in his own voice. Everyone always kind of thought of him as being the goofy, carefree, irresponsible one. For her to believe that he could really master his transformation meant a lot to him. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, feeling a small knot in his throat. "Thank you, Alice. I just hope I don't let you down."

She smiled and squeezed his hand back. "I know you won't. I hope that I do not let you down as well. We will have you transform outside of the city and you will walk us the rest of the way there." She breathed out carefully, "How are you feeling? Do you think you can rest? You will need to close off the power, so it does not escape, so that it does not trouble your mind."

"Yeah, I think we can call it a night," Phoenix answered. He closed his eyes again, mentally closing the space he'd imagined earlier, feeling the energy stored there. This technique was odd to him, but he trusted Alice to know what she was doing. He opened his eyes when he was finished and smiled at her. "I guess I should set up our tents, huh?" he asked and got to his feet. He went to his pack and grabbed a tent, hesitating for a minute before he looked at her again. "You, ah, want me to sleep with you tonight? I mean, you know, just next to you, not WITH you," he corrected himself quickly with a nervous laugh. "I promise I won't try anything."

Alice gave him a smile as she walked over to him. "I trust you. Just set up one tent tonight. I will give you a massage if you would allow it? It should help you concentrate and relax at the same time," she said. "Hopefully you will get some restful sleep."

Phoenix quickly got their tent set up, blankets and all, and crawled inside. A groan escaped him as he laid down. "Being in that saddle all day makes me sore," he muttered, hugging the pillow to himself as he laid out on his chest. He peeked over his shoulder at her as she crawled into the tent. "I should be the one giving you a massage," he murmured.

She settled down next to him after she zipped up the tent. "Do you mind if I push your shirt up?" she asked and at his nod she carefully moved it so she would reach his back easily. "I am probably not going to massage your butt," she said as she rubbed her palms together before she reached out and carefully ran her fingers over the tense muscles in his back. She could still feel him, his body trying to react to the moonlight, the moon's energy he had stored away in himself. She muttered a small excuse me and straddled his back, "I can reach better from here."

Phoenix swallowed harshly as she sat on him, his body stirring at her touch. "No worries," he choked out, his voice a bit higher than he intended. He cleared his throat and tried to relax beneath her. "Sorry. Just a little choked up," he tried to cover. He pressed his face into the pillow feeling it burn hotly despite the cold air around them. He inhaled slowly, feeling her fingers working the knots loose in his muscles. "You sure you don't wanna rub my butt?"

Alice chuckled. "I'm sure. Or else we would have one more problem to deal with and then you will not thank me for that," she said as she spread her fingers over his muscles, kneading carefully as she figured out some more knots along his spine. "You weren't kidding, you must be sore from riding. You should do it more often when this is all over. Perhaps… Perhaps I could come with you."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Phoenix smiled. Alice making plans to do something fun? Maybe he was rubbing off on her more than he thought. "It's not just the horse. It's the stress. The anger I feel. It's, well, it's everything," he admitted with a sigh and turned to lay his cheek against the pillow. A soft moan escaped him as Alice's hands worked over his muscles. "I just want this to be over," he murmured. His eyes fell closed again as she rubbed at his lower back and his tail curled with pleasure, snaking around her leg without him even realizing it. "That feels good," he said in a low voice.

"Good," she said. "This will be over soon. Whatever happens tomorrow, it will end. Everything will be over tomorrow. So just hang in there until then." She sighed as she finished massaging his back. "Actually, that's a lie. It'll be over for you, but for me it never ends. It will probably get a little better, but it will not end. The world will keep on turning and people will be hurt, the world will keep conjuring storms."

Phoenix rolled to his side and smoothly pulled her down into his arms. "It'll be different for you now," he promised. He ran his fingers through her hair, brushing the soft strands off her cheek. "You won't have to do it alone anymore, Alice. You have me now." He closed the space between them, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. His heart soared again, his mind going quiet, his whole being seeming to relax as he kissed her. Oh, he could get used to this. Even with the moon's energy, he felt calm. "That is, if you think you can put up with me."

She sighed against him, relaxing. "I think I could do that. You are calming to me, this close. Surprisingly. I think the others may have a hard time believing that. Do you think you could do it? It is quiet on the Lookout. You might have my father to spar with and if you could get Goku to teach you that instant transmission, then it will be easier for you."

"Ugh, your dad," Phoenix whimpered and dropped his head to the pillow again. "Just remind him profusely how many times I saved your life while he was gone, okay?" he asked with a wink. He cupped her cheek and stared at her, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. "I'd face your dad a thousand times for you. I'd go up against anything to defend what I feel for you now," he said softly. "I can handle the Lookout. You won't be able to keep me away."

Alice felt some tears gathering in her eyes at the thought. That there was someone there who didn't think she was boring, or an uncaring, un-fun person who couldn't guard the earth. "I think the world would be better if you stuck around for a little bit. I think I would too," she smiled and leaned her head against his, "And I won't hold it against you if you decide otherwise."

"I'm not going to change my mind," he whispered fiercely, sliding his hand into her hair, gripping the back of her neck. "I want to be with you, Alice. I don't know how this happened or what changed, but I don't care. I feel so much better when I'm close to you and I think you feel the same. Promise me that when this is all said and done, we'll be together."

Alice nodded before she yawned, "I promise. So long as you want it." She looked into his eyes, feeling something new there she hadn't felt before. It was good and warm. It felt like home.

"I do," Phoenix answered fiercely. "I want it more than anything." He pulled her tighter into his arms, kissing the top of her head. He knew in that moment that no matter what happened tomorrow, they would be together. He wouldn't hurt her; he wouldn't let anyone else hurt her. She was too important to him now. She was his sanity, his calm, his safe place. And he hoped that somehow he could be the same for her in return.