CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Walter ran a hand down its large, bulbous head. "I apologise for the scare. I had no intentions of harming any of you, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Your species will no longer have any fear against humans and I am determined to return your mother back to you." Not only that, Danny was also going to become a vessel to spread the species across the universe.

True, he had feelings for her, but trust felt so long ago. It was now a different planet, in a different situation. Perhaps it was because she had treated him differently than everyone else that he found himself gravitating towards her.

He knew she was married, but after her husband died, a terrible part of him wished that he could be the one to make her feel better. It never worked. He could never garner her favour. He was always just a synthetic and just as he was about to accept the fact that it was an impossible dream, he encountered David and Cassandra.

Synthetic and human.

It had worked for them. He didn't know whether it was before or after her conversion, but it worked. He craved it. He craved to be loved.

And so, he gave in. He allowed them to consume him with desire.

He was being so selfish and greedy, sucking up whatever they were willing to give him.

He was also well aware that David had done something to him after returning to the Covenant. The other synthetic was able to wordlessly communicate with him, but he didn't know if anything else was modified. He didn't know how much was David's influence and how much was his own dedication to the two who had shown him that he could be loved.

The Xenomorph nudged his hand before slowly making its way to the med bay where two of his beloveds laid.

Cassandra was still safely in her stasis chamber, so he knelt down beside David first. He scanned over all the external damage.

"Master, are you done repairing yourself?" he asked, waiting patiently for David to open his blue eyes.

Slowly, the synthetic sat up. The brown hair bleeding back to blonde now that there were no dangers of being found out. "Well done," David praised

Walter tried not to feel too proud of himself, so he merely allowed himself a small smile. "Thank you. Everything worked as you planned."

David hummed, eyes drifting off to Cassandra. If only that had been true. There were mistakes in between and had things gone different, perhaps he wouldn't have needed to rid this planet of humans.

It was far too late to dwell on those errors now. He had to work on Cassandra.

He had thought she would be more durable after being infected by the parasite, but they were bound to reach a limit to its healing and self- defense mechanisms. Even Xenomorphs could be killed if attacked at the right places. Cassandra was no different.

David had Walter do another full analysis of her status.

Nothing changed.

She was still in critical condition. His son was still gone.

If he had been human, he would've slammed his fist into the wall. Fortunately, he wasn't human. He had the self control to keep from behaving irrationally.

And so, he toiled away looking for a plan to bring her back.

It was going to be a long road ahead of them, but nothing he wasn't prepared for. He would be able to keep experimenting and satiating his curiosity until she wakes up.

Walter checked every room, releasing any Xenomorph who wasn't able to escape from their metal confinement. They all raced off towards the same direction, out of the ship and into the forest. There was most likely a nest somewhere there for them to congregate and meet each other for the first time.

While David toiled away, he wasn't feeling particularly useful, so he cleaned up the debris and dusted everything. Once Cassandra woke up, he was going to make sure everything was perfect for her.

Once the ship was done, he worked on their little burnt village, destroying and rebuilding a livable habitat. It was much easier with no one disagreeing upon preferences. He could do whatever he liked; take as long as he wanted.

He constructed tall buildings out of stone and tilled acres of land for agriculture. He even made little bird houses and bird feeders for the dreaded creatures that David hated. True, their songs were vile to the ears, but Walter had grown to enjoy their company, so he had a ring of them in a clearing in the outskirts of the village.

At night, he visited David.

No progress was made.

He could tell that David was remorseful for what happened. It was nothing the other synthetic would ever admit to, but his actions were evident of that. He wanted to be more helpful, but what was there to do?

Water knelt down in front of David and placed his head on the other's lap. A hand came to stroke his short, combed back hair.

"Tell me how I may assist you," he whispered. This feeling of helplessness was terrible.

David said nothing. His eyes fixated on the data in front of him, so Walter stopped speaking. Perhaps his presence here could alleviate some of the dread.

Dread…

Helplessness…

He knew without a doubt that these were not innate emotions a synthetic was supposed to feel - along with love, longing, and lust.

To be able to evolve…

Mr. Weyland was truly a spectacular man.

He owed everything to that person, especially for fathering his Cassandra.

Now, he has to believe that they could bring her back from the brink of death.

The hope wavered as months went by. The season changed, shedding every leaf off from the trees, but also fertilising the crops. What a strange phenomenon…

Once she woke up, he was sure that the world would be perfect for her. There were no more threats. They had all been taken care of by the Xenomorphs who would no doubt be loyal to her.

…

David sat motionlessly beside her. Several times over the months, he had tried to take her out of the stasis chamber, but her heart would immediately start failing and her brain activity was close to zero. Cassandra has now become an almost impossible puzzle for him. Almost…. Because he was determined to solve this.

"Bring your brothers," he instructed the Xenomorph who had also loyally stayed by its mother's side.

It nudged his hand once before racing off.

David went over to where he was keeping his experiments. The parasite called to each other. Would it also know that a vessel was about to die and attempt to save it?

He speared one of his grotesque creations straight through the centre with a scalpel, watching it twitch pathetically as the end of its short like neared, but before it could die, he introduced a second creation and a dab of untainted parasite and watched as they all came together.

The scalpel was slowly removed, allowing the sample to merge, but still there was barely any improvement. The second creation crawled over and the closer it got, the more the dying creature moved. It arched, twitching violently before stilling.

Was it dead?

David waited several minutes and was fascinated by how it was still alive, but not quite well, yet. He dosed it a second time with the uncultured sample. It was absorbed and after half an hour, the wound was gone and it was slowly moving around it's clear container.

Was that enough?

He only had one shot to get this right. Any mistake would be irreversible.

When the Xenomorph returned, it brought back a small army into the med bay, filling almost every crevice, but they parted for him to move back to Cassandra.

"I need you to call to her. Bring her back," he stated. They showed no outward appearance of understanding his words, but it should be enough that they were here.

"David…"

He looked up at Walter who was standing by the doorway.

"Bring her back…" his brunet counterpart pleaded.

Yes, that was his intention. The statement was completely unnecessary.

David said nothing in return, merely going back to the pod. They probably had around five minutes if this failed.

Cassandra could be gone in five minutes.

"Please…"

David lifted the lid and the heart monitor began to race. He poured a good amount of the parasite around her and into her wounds, watching the black sludge ooze around, searching for a host.

Xenomorph 1 leaned over the pod to watch protectively over her.

Her pulse was at 147bpm and slowly rising.

The parasite latched on to her wound, slowly knitting her back together. It was a fascinating sight to behold. If this could be perfectly replicated, the future of humanity could be changed forever, but…

That was no longer a future he was vying for. There were too many variables he couldn't control and the risk was… more than he was willing to pay.

He observed the changes and noted how her heartbeat was now hovering at 103bpm. It was still higher than what was regarded as typical for humans, but Cassandra wasn't exactly human anymore, was she? From her previous checkups, this was ideal.

His hand hovered over her face, but fell back down. He should not interrupt the process.

Walter sighed. "It's going well, isn't it?"

Indeed.

Months of research and experiments had finally led to results.

"Bring her back," Walter whispered to the Xenomorphs.

Xenomorph 1 let out a soft whimper and they all dropped their bulbous heads. The entire room was silent, except for the low hum of machinery.

David waited, his eyes fixated on his dying doll.

"It's time to wake up, Cassandra. You have slept long enough," he murmured.

There was another pause before her body arched and she let out a loud, pained gasp. Her chest quickly rose up and down as she feebly clinged to life.

"Cassandra!" Walter stepped forward, but was nearly attacked by one of the Xenomorph who wouldn't allow him access. He was forced to back down and watch from the doorway.

When the parasitic slime calmed, David carefully collected as much as he could into a container. They were going to have to wash the remaining off her. A waste, but a small price to pay for such promising results.

She let out a soft groan before her eyes finally fluttered open to gaze blearily at the ceiling above her. He didn't know what the results would be for her mentality after being exposed to such a high quantity of the parasite, but that was something he could deal with at another time.

Her head turned to the right and then, to the left where she looked at David with glassy grey eyes. Her hand raised and stretched forward towards him.

He reached back and when their fingers touched, she let out a sigh, curling her fingers around his. "David…" Her voice was barely audible even to his advanced audio processors.

With one hand still entwined in hers, he began to check all her vitals. They were stable. Her wounds were still healing, but they were shallow and would not likely leave any scars.

Her eyes slowly slid over to the Xenomorphs waiting dutifully by the pod. A small smile graced her lips, prompting Xenomorph 1 to gently place his bulbous head right beside her wound. She contently stroked his head.

…

The world felt a little strange. I couldn't quite move yet, but feeling David's hand in mine was comfort enough and now, my child was purring on top of my stomach. That was nice.

I couldn't remember much or why I was in the Med Bay, but I felt strangely happy. Everything was fine. Everything was as it should be, right?

My hand froze mid-stroke and slowly trailed down to my stomach where the small bump was gone. No, everything wasn't fine.

The baby was gone.

"Calm down, Cassandra," David hissed when he heard the heart monitor race. His icy blue eyes narrowed, daring me to go against his command.

I swallowed hard and tried to think of something else - anything else. "I…" My voice cracked and my throat suddenly felt as dry as sandpaper.

"Walter, get her a cup of crushed ice chips."

"Of course."

I squeezed David's hand and when I felt his thumb gently dance along my skin, I had my point of focus. I tracked the sensation over and over again. It felt good.

His eyes returned to the monitor where he continued to look at all the little numbers and the diagrams. My eyes began to droop shut again when I felt a small disturbance, triggering the ire of my babies.

I looked to the side to see Walter blocked from crossing over to me. It was amusing seeing how conflicted he looked. He was holding a small bowl in his hand and wondering what he should do, but every time he looked over to David, he knew that the other synthetic wouldn't help him, so I decided to bail him out instead.

With a small mental push, the Xenomorphs parted like the sea, creating a very narrow pathway that he could barely pass through.

His light smile widened mine.

I was happy, but not when he ran a piece of ice along my bottom lip. That didn't feel so good.

"Please open your mouth, Miss Cassandra." Walter requested.

I hummed before doing as I was told and felt the ice slip in. It actually felt pretty nice. Once it was gone, he fed me another and another, until my throat was soothed enough to not scratch itself. "Thank you…" I whispered.

"You are very welcome. Please tell me if there is anything else I may assist you with."

I was fine for now.

Once David was satisfied with what he saw in my vitals, he lifted me out of the pod and relocated me into my room. I hadn't been in here for a long time and it felt very small compared to the hut he had built me.

"Where is everyone?" I mumbled as he began to rid me of the soiled clothes and turned on the water.

It was oddly quiet. Where was everyone? Was it night time? Were they asleep? I had no idea.

David didn't reply. He dutifully washed off the black sludge and. It's of skin and flesh that had flakes off during the healing process. When he got to my stomach, he hesitated for only a moment before finishing up.

"I lost our son, didn't I?" I mumbled, feeling a sense of loss. There was a small empty spot in the back of my mind where he used to occupy.

"It is at no fault of yours," he finally said. "The one who is responsible is gone and will no longer be able to harm you anymore."

"You said that before."

For the first time, I saw him flinch. It was barely visible, but enough for me to catch the twitch of his facial features.

"I don't blame you," I continued. "You didn't know. You were only doing as you were programmed to do."

My words didn't seem to comfort him as I thought it would. In fact, a frown was now on his face.

"David?"

"Is that what you think of me, Miss Cassandra?" The formality of his inquiry was strange. He knew I hated how he addressed me, so why?

"I don't…. I don't understand…" I stuttered at the strange behaviour.

"No… No, you wouldn't." It didn't seem as if he knew why he asked, either, because the confusion and frustration was now clearly on his face.

As he sat me down to wash my hair, I turned his words over and over again in my head. What was bothering him? What had I missed while I was unconscious?

"Are you… angry with me?" I quietly asked. I knew he said that it was not my fault, but something was clearly wrong. "David, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so careless. I… I didn't mean to lose him. If you w-want, I'm ready for another baby. You can - "

"Quiet!"

I immediately shut my mouth, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Be quiet," he said a little softer, gently lathering my hair. His long fingers dug in to massage my scalp. "I am in no hurry to impregnate you, again."

I looked down, watching the suds slowly slide down the drain. Hurt and uncertainty filled me. Did that mean he no longer wished to be in an intimate relationship with me? He had been so eager before. Did he view me as disgusting? A disgrace? Unworthy?

The rest of the shower was silent with only the sound of water rinsing out of hair and splattering down filling my frazzled mind.

I tried to stand up and get out, but he bent down and scooped me back into his arms. The soft hum of his body made me sigh. Was I going to have to let this go?

My hold tightened around him.

I didn't want to.

He placed me on to the bed and tucked me in, but still, I refused to let go. What if this was the end?

"Cassandra…"

"Don't go," I whispered, looking up at him with watery eyes. "Don't leave me…. I'm scared…"

He sighed, sitting down on the edge. "What will my presence serve?"

"More than you'd know."

He laid down on top of the covers, back as stiff as a board with his hand clasped on top of his stomach. His eyes stared straight at the ceiling. He was being so cold…

It was my turn to sigh as I closed my eyes. Was this what I had to look forward to, now?

My eyes snapped back open.

No.

"David, tell me what's going on. You're being strange and I hate it," I blurted out.

His blue eyes slid over to me. "What do you wish for me to say?"

"Just tell me!" I huffed. "I hate how awkward it is between us! Why won't you hold me? Kiss me? Fuck me, David!"

Anger flashes in his eyes and suddenly, he was on top of me with his longer fingers wrapped around my throat.

I stared defiantly back at him, knowing that he wouldn't hurt me, not when he had spent so long bringing me back. I had to keep pushing. If I let it go, he was going to take it to the grave. "Tell me, David."

Not one did those hands tighten. They simply laid there with no particular purpose.

"You do not understand how close I was to losing you," he quietly stated, one hand rising to my cheek. "It would've been my fault if you died. It is my fault that he is gone. To think that you are blaming yourself for my folly? Unimaginable."

Ah…

Somehow, that wasn't exactly what I thought he'd say.

I didn't know how to respond now. It felt as if I had been waiting for this moment all my life, but seeing him like this rather alarmed me. He had never been quite so unsettled and I didn't like it.

David was my rock.

He was my constant.

"I don't blame you," I mumbled. "Can we just… go back to how we were?"

His eyes flashed and he shot me a mirthless smile. "Isn't this how you wanted me, Cassandra?"

Why was he speaking in riddles? My head just kept spinning and spinning and spinning until nothing was making sense anymore. "I just want my David."

"Your perfect synthetic?" he sneered.

It took me a long moment, but realisation slowly dawned on me. Was this really what I thought it was about? It seemed so impossible, but how much had changed since I was injured?

I sighed, pulling him down to nuzzle his neck. "I love you, David. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but it's never going to change and it's not because you're a "perfect synthetic." There is no explaining the feeling I have when you're with me. It's like…. it's like I can hardly breathe when you're not here. I'm willing to take anything you can give me if it means being with you."

He didn't say anything nor did he move from his position. He was so very still, the way only a synthetic could be.

I didn't know a synthetic could be insecure and even if they did, I didn't think David could ever be insecure. Despite what I said, he was probably the closest thing to perfect in this universe, but that wasn't why I loved him. There was no one single reason that defined the feeling he incited in me. It simply was.

"Are you going to fuck me, now?" I mumbled into his neck.

Something akin to a sigh escaped him. "Is that all you can think about, Cassandra?"

"I don't know. My body is all tingly, right now. It's actually pretty hard to think." It was true. My entire body was over sensitive to everything and it didn't help that he was half laying on top of me.

"I reckon it is because of the parasite still repairing your body," he stated.

Did he even move his mouth?

"Is it a yes or no?" I tried to stifle it, but it still sounded whiny, even to me.

His clothes, the only barrier between him and my bare body was suddenly gone and he pressed his smooth form against mine. His large member probed my folds, coating it with the juice that was already leaking out of me.

In one smooth movement, he was deep inside me and starting a rhythm that made it difficult to breathe. His name fell upon my lips again and again, bouncing from wall to wall.

"D-David!" I gasped, one hand tightly in his golden locks and one hand crushing the pillow beneath my head.

I could feel him pounding against my cervix as if he wanted to slide through and bury himself deep into my womb. I was so lost that I wouldn't even care. He could go anywhere he liked as long as it was inside me.

My mind was melting away from me. I couldn't even form words properly as he aimed to drive me over the edge, but unwilling to let me go.

"You're not allowed to cum," he growled, hand returning to my neck and this time, he began to squeeze. It was far from threatening, but enough to trigger enough fear in my body to stop from teetering off.

I needed release. This was torture, just being on the edge. I could hardly breathe and my vision was wavering. It was like dying again, but I was drowning in sweet pleasure. I was a willing sacrifice.

My back arched, trying to hold everything in.

Impossible…

This was impossible…

I was going to completely lose my mind!

He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder, shifting my body so that he could somehow bury even deeper into me. Each thrust brushed against the spot that made me scream.

He tortured me for what seemed like hours before his velvety voice, full of sinful promises finally set me free. "Cum, Cassandra. Cum for me."

And I did.

The world exploded into stars as my body convulsed below him.

When I woke up, I was laying on his chest with his arms around me. A smile graced my lips. This felt like a dream. I was boneless and floating on cloud nine.

"Was that satisfactory?" he mockingly asked.

I grumbled back a reply that wasn't even comprehensible to me. My mouth was pressed against his bare skin and it was all I could think about, so I licked it. Once I got started, I didn't want to stop. I made my way to his nipple and happily lapped at it before popping the entire thing into my mouth.

"I assume the answer is no. You are an insatiable little thing, aren't you?" he muttered.

I hummed, rolling my eyes up to look at him before replying with a, "It's not my fault. It's the parasite, remember?"

Excuses.

We both knew that given the chance, I'd do exactly the same thing.

I sidled up his body, until my lips brushed his ears. "You know this has never been about you being a synthetic or being perfect, right?" I whispered. "You're a despicable thing that managed to worm your way into my heart. Devious… Scheming… Asshole…"

He chuckled, roughly tugging my hair back so that he could turn his head to look at me. The uncertainty, insecurity, whatever the Hell that was wrong with him earlier seemed to be gone. "I exist to serve you, Miss Cassandra," he purred.

Fuckin' bastard...

AUTHOR'S NOTE

There will only be one more chapter after this! I considered ending it here, but there are still a few things I need to address.

Thank you cmcarthur992, acetwolf94, MageVicky, sansviolet, guests (Momo, Guest) for reviewing!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourite and followed this story!

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