Chapter 9

Perception

Derek's POV

"Alright I get it, very funny, ha-ha, now pull it together…come on!"

Derek's pleas fell on deaf ears as the marines in the room continued to laugh themselves into hysteria. Though the prospect of getting into trouble was still present they couldn't help it. They did all they could to get Derek and Alasha together on a good date, and now she, in Knott's words, 'came back for more'.

"Guys come on!" Derek shouted, "I seriously need some help."

"Hang on, hang on," Johnathan chuckled as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "Just tell us…what did your parents say when they found out you were dating an older woman?"

Derek's face started burning, "She isn't that old…I think they're ok with it as long as she isn't like…ten years older than me."

"So in other words," chimed in Jade, "Alasha is pushing the limit."

That was all that was needed to send Tray howling again, with the squad following not long after.

Derek slapped his hand over his face in clear agitation. Some days he was thankful for these guys, others he wanted to strangle them.

"Guys this is serious!"

"Oh we know," squeaked a chuckling Knott, "It's just important to note though that while you were still crawling and needed diaper changes she was already walking and talking."

The comparison only spurred on the laughter to a whole new level while Derek slowly died of humiliation.

"Does she know?" a still giggling Mi asked, "Like, what do their customs say about this?"

Derek didn't want to answer, but everyone's eyes were on him…might as well just get it over with.

"Here…older women are seen as more valuable to peruse so-"

That's as far as he got before the laughter drowned him out again.

Alasha POV

"He's that inexperienced?"

"He isn't inexperienced Guisha, he's from another world."

The younger sangheili snorted, "Does that make it any better?"

Alasha could only look out the window to the land outside. The grassy plains were relatively flat before becoming hills and evolving into the surrounding mountains. The village position close to the Keep consisted mostly of dome shaped structures filled with varying people, from families of warriors to the few merchants and trader shops. A tall tower was constructed in the center of it all but had long since become abandoned, that was the holy temple where people would gather to hear the words of the prophets. Now it was nothing more than an empty shell reminding them of their deception and shame, a building that her father planned on demolishing in the near future.

Alasha found it hard to believe at first. Their very faith, being manipulated like puppets for nearly a thousand years and maybe more. It certainly struck their pride greatly.

She wondered if courting an alien would be anywhere along those lines.

That spare thought brought her back as she turned to Guisha.

"Has Yalron returned yet?"

Guisha nodded, "Yes, Busras apparently is now residing in the village."

Alasha's hearts stopped beating for a moment before expressing her surprise.

"In the village?" she asked to make sure she heard correctly, "What is he still doing there? I would have thought he left."

Guisha growled in turn, "Apparently he doesn't need a reason to stay…and I already talked to the scribe, he says that my threatening him will warrant a war."

There was brief silence between the females until Alasha broke it, "You didn't…"

"I only asked," Guisha said defensively, "I learned a long time ago not to get into fights with powerful males."

Guisha hadn't had as many suitors as Alasha, but her hot-headed reputation had made her the most feared female in the entire fiefdom.

Alasha finally allowed her snarl to escape and started pacing around the room.

This was getting out of hand, no doubt Busras was staying so that he could spy on Alasha and see Derek for himself. Since he wasn't doing anything wrong she couldn't force him to leave, nor could she allow him to see Derek without making the Keep look like a laughing stock.

"This is bad," she finally said as she turned to Guisha, "What shall we do?"

Guisha blinked momentarily before turning to the Keep daughter.

"We?"

"Yes!" she cried in exasperation, "You're the only one I talk to besides Derek."

"Then speak with him," Guisha advised, "See what he thinks."

Alasha was already shaking her head, "He only knows some of our customs that I taught him and I don't want to get him involved in my troubles any further."

"You are the one who said he is still your suitor," Guisha pointed out.

"I know, I know," Alasha said as she rubbed her eyes, "Everything happened so fast, and to be precise he didn't end the courtship last night, he just brought me back home."

"Regardless, you should speak with him," she then points outside, "Especially since there is a well-trained swordsman waiting to spill his blood as soon as he steps outside of his base."

Alasha paused once again and reminisced about that.

Derek being killed, murdered, his cold-lifeless body on the ground with blood pooling around him.

His blood which would stain her hands.

He may have asked to court her, but she may very have asked him to risk his life.

She growled again, this time more savagely. The first male in a long time that she could enjoy being with may very well be killed by her own doing.

"What am I going to do?" she asked again desperately.

"Why don't you use one of the guards and have him pretend to be Derek?" Guisha asked, "Busras would go away after that, yes?"

Alasha shook her head, "I told Busras that Derek came from far away and no doubt the people in the village will confirm the identity of any guard I choose."

"A traveling merchant then," Guisha rectified, "Somebody new who the people won't know."

"But I said Derek is a warrior."

Alasha sat down and placed her face in her hands, suddenly feeling very self-conscious and fearful, "Guisha, Derek sees me as his friend; how will he look at me now when he realizes I all but guaranteed his death?"

Guisha couldn't answer, she didn't have an answer.

The situation was certainly bleak; on one hand Derek Heath will die if he was seen in public. On the other hand if Alasha was seen without a suitor she would be proclaimed a liar and immediately be courted by Busras.

Guisha found the whole thing to be rather idiotic, especially since it was the alien who started it. She honestly thought everything would be resolved if they allowed Busras to slay the human.

But then…what of Alasha? As sickening as it may seem, she appeared to have formed an attachment to the human. Not enough for a relationship, but enough to cause her to worry for him.

Guisha silently glanced at Alasha who still looked sick with worry. She couldn't bear to see her friend like this and decided to shift the subject to something else. Maybe something humorous, but what? She briefly thought of something and acted upon it.

She quietly walked forward and took a seat next to Alasha, the female didn't even acknowledge her arrival until she opened her mandibles.

"How does Derek feel about courting you again?"

Derek's POV

"We did not!"

"Oh come on!" Mi cried jubilantly, forsaking her hatred for aliens as she continued speaking, "Knott said so himself that you two left for a little…alone time."

By this time Derek had lost all will to argue and just sat down on his bed and sighed heavily.

Well, his friends weren't going to be so much help this time apparently. He probably should just figure this all out on his own; they were extremely lucky they didn't get in trouble for the first date, no telling what the officers will do when they hear that Derek and Alasha were still in a relationship. He could probably count on not getting another 'have fun' pass from the major.

He sucked in another deep breath as he stood and started walking out the door with the guys' laughter following him out.

He stepped into the humid heat of the morning and glanced around. Camp was as busy as usual; marines sunbathing on top of warthogs, the few pilots on hand playing cards, and the few men in full combat armor standing at the gate, occasionally cursing the heat with loud voices for everyone to hear.

Derek walked down the stairs and instantly felt eyes on him. He looked to the left to see a couple of marines huddled together as they shared a smoke, however they all paused in their activity to regard him with curious eyes and smirks.

The dance was two nights ago but people were still talking about it.

Or rather they were talking about one particular couple.

Derek was an unknown green marine who just came out of basics and hadn't been around long enough to get to know the people. But, by now everyone knew him due to the video posted online, a wasted private who asked an alien out to a dance.

Everyone who watched it found it beyond entertaining, probably the best thing to have ever happened since the camp's creation. It gradually faded when the dance came about, people had more important things to discuss like who was going out with who and what could they get away without being stopped by a MP.

Everybody received the shock of their lives when Derek arrived with Alasha by his side. Even though most people on base didn't know what the Keep Lord's daughter looked like, they had their suspicions, maybe they felt a sort of commanding aura coming off of her.

In the end they shrugged it off the best they could and decided not to let it intrude on what could be the most fun the marines would indulge in while in Camp Rojas.

After the dance though Derek had a run in with multiple groups of people who made their feelings pretty clear on the matter. One squad believed it was all an elaborate prank and still laughed about it as a joke. Another greatly disapproved of it, people like Mi who had come to despise the aliens no matter who they were. Third are, for a lack of better words, naturalists who had a "live and let live" policy. And last was a group who simply found the whole thing disturbing and made sure Derek realized that.

Derek walked around the barracks and into its shade before he put his back to the wall and slid down, deep in thought.

Never in his life did he think he would face such a dilemma. He knew getting drunk would get him to do stupid things but he had no idea it would be taken this far. Now he had to go on pretending to be Alasha's human boyfriend for who knows how long, she wasn't clear on the time table yet. She also advised that he stayed inside the wire as much as possible, which was easy enough since everyone knew the local sangheili population wasn't exactly welcoming of the human's presence.

Why was he doing this? Did he really owe her that much? She's a sangheili, a damned alien who his parents must have thought he was dating.

He ran a hand over his face as images as the strange girl kept dancing in his eyes. She was so different, there shouldn't be a spark between them, so why did he feel so…so…

Alasha POV

"Confused?" Guisha questioned.

Alasha nodded her head, "Unfortunately."

"But…but…he's an alien!" Guisha finally got out, "You shouldn't be having these…feelings."

Alasha's cheeks flushed indigo as she tried to explain herself.

"He is still a sentient being Guisha," she said, "He talks, he has feelings and he is so…very…what's the word?"

"…attractive?" Guisha suggested.

"I do not feel attracted to him!" Alasha roared, but the mortification was clearly noticeable in her voice.

Derek's POV

'Was it attraction?'

He wondered as he rubbed his chin.

When they first met…and when they were dancing he took notice of her body and he just…spaced out. Even now he shifted uncomfortably as he remembered her curvy body, her tough yet smooth skin and the brief but alluring gentleness in her eyes when she wasn't angry.

Alluring?

Derek threw his head back and groaned.

"I seriously need help."

"I agree."

Derek immediately sat up and looked to his left.

Standing not too far away was Mi, her arms crossed as she observed the young man before her. She silently arrived just moments ago and heard Derek's audible confession before making her presence known.

Derek, not in the mood for another laughing fit, turned away towards the opposite direction as he considered getting up and moving.

"I don't have any more funny stories to tell," he informed her.

Mi couldn't help the grin that forms on her face as she speaks.

"You sure?" she talked as she walked forward and sat down next to him, "How about some tales about your life on the farm?"

Derek gave her a glare, "Cheap shot."

She huffed before looking straight ahead. The two marines fell silent, neither speaking. A few minutes rolled by when Derek finally glanced at her curiously.

"So…"

"Shut up," was Mi's reply, not bothering to even look at him.

Derek held up his hands defensively, "I just-"

"I know," Mi answered with a bit of annoyance, "I'm trying to help you."

A heartbeat of silence followed before Derek asked, "With what?"

"Using manure to grow flowers," she gave him a scowl, "I'm trying to figure out what to tell you so please be quiet until I figure it out," she finished before looking away again.

"A-alright," Derek said uncertainly, deciding to lean back against the building again.

Not like there was anything else he could do.

He counted off a full five minutes before Mi sighed.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you," she said.

"Well thanks for the awesome advice," Derek replied in exasperation as he crossed his arms.

"Maybe if you grunt I'll learn how to become an Admiral."

Mi's response was a hard punch to his kidney.

"Owwww!" Derek cried as he clutched his side, "What was that for?"

"Since when did you become so gusty?" Mi instead questioned.

Derek opened his mouth to reply only to close it.

When did he become gutsy? Not by action but by words. He would occasionally take part in the usual banter with the squad but he would never make an outright accusation or use heavy sarcasm with people more powerful than him like Johnathan or Mi, NCOs to be precise. No matter how much he would want to or how funny his words would be, he just didn't want to risk offending them.

But now though…what's changed? Only one thing comes to mind.

"Probably my life," Derek answered, "Living in fear of my potential girlfriend getting offended and ripping out my spine haunts my thoughts. Not to mention what the rest of you jarheads will do with my remains when she's done."

Mi smiled again, "You sound like a combat veteran."

Derek snorted at that. He knew he'd be facing challenges and potential death in the military even if the war is over, but he never would have imagined a scenario quite like this.

Mi finally sat up straight and regained Derek's attention, "So explain exactly how will this whole, quote on quote, boyfriend and girlfriend act is supposed to go."

Derek shrugged, "All I know is that since I didn't say the courtship was over we are still…an item, I suppose," he tried his best to ignore the grin on Mi's face, "So until this guy who is looking to marry her is gone, I'm her cover up."

"I can see that going well," Mi's smirk however faded as she scoots closer to Derek.

"Tell me straight Heath,"

He looked her in the eyes when he heard the seriousness in her tone.

"How serious are things between you two?"

She asked in a rather bland voice, but he can just detect the hint of disgust underlying her tone. Date or no date, Mi still had a score with the sangheili. Truth be told Derek is surprised they weree still friends despite that. If it could be considered a friendship.

Derek shrugged again, "I… don't know…it's just…weird I guess…"

Mi continued to look him over.

"Well do you want things to go further?"

Go further? Did she mean… Derek reflected on the touches, the brief hug, her face coming closer….

"I'll take that idiotic blissful look on your face as a yes," Mi suddenly said, breaking Derek from his thoughts.

Instantly the young man's face turned a shade of red, "Mi! I didn't mean-I don't-I-I-"

Mi held up a hand, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Derek could only flex his fingers in agitation, frustrated with the whole thing. Not at Mi specifically, but more with his own confused reactions and thoughts. Ever since he met Alasha nothing seemed to be certain anymore.

Mi, for her part, had a scowl on her face as she spoke, "I can't really say there's a direct way to get a woman to like you," she then jerked a thumb at him, "Especially someone like you, but, there are some things you can try."

Derek was gaping at her, too stunned, embarrassed, and insulted to form a coherent thought.

"I'm going to guess you just want to have a good time with her, but not too much of a good time, right?" she asked further.

Derek's stilled face answered for him.

"Right, anyway," Mi continued, "I won't speak for the whole of the female population, seeing how there are different girls with different preferences. I'd suggest you go with the old-fashion approach, seems to be your speed and her style."

"Old fashion?" Derek finally choked out.

"Right farmer brown," Mi continued as she held up three fingers, "These are the priority steps you need to remember."

Derek nodded rather enthusiastically. He wasn't sure what he was going to get, but at the moment he'll take any kind of advice.

"One: all girls like to be cherished."

"Cherished?" Derek asked as if it was a foreign word.

"Show us you really do think the world of us," Mi said and looked Derek square in the eye, "That we're appreciated, you acknowledge what we do for you as you would have done for us."

Derek slowly nodded his head, 'makes sense'.

"Second is strength," Mi seemed to put more emphasis on this and even looked Derek up and down, "Do your best with this one seeing how you're a toothpick compared to her."

"Really?" Derek asked, clearly affronted and wondering if she was being serious.

"Girls like strong guys," Mi continued, "Just as long as it doesn't go to your head and you start thumping your chest every few minutes. And not just that, but when times get tough they need someone to lean on for support, to help her stand and be strong."

Derek considered this. Could he do that for Alasha? Be there for her? It was worth a shot he supposed.

"Lastly, and this may very well be key in all serious relationships," she held up a finger unnecessarily, "Is faithfulness."

She was met with a blank stare.

"Come on," she jousted the private a little, "How many movies have you seen when the girl or the guy is betrayed by the one that they love and you see the whole heartbreaking montage?"

"Umm…" Derek hummed to himself.

His movie genres often varied between war flicks and adventure with a bit of cartoons thrown into the mix.

"Well that's what most girls want," Mi said when Derek doesn't respond, "They want a guy who will stand with them and not just take off for the new hot girl that appears at random moments. Relationships are a bond, you share secrets, hopes and dreams with this person, more so than anyone else and you for sure don't just take off and leave them hanging, especially when times get rough. You need to hang in there through thick and thin."

Derek stared at Mi for a moment.

This was a new side of her he hadn't seen before. She was usually gung ho and tough, the very aspect of a marine who ignored all feminine restraints. She didn't look like one who would watch cheesy romance movies, but for all he knew she was only using movie references for his understanding. What if this was actually her own personal experience of a love life?

He thought upon what he had learned. Cherishment, Strength and Faith. It did sound like the standards for any common relationship, his parents surely followed that one to a teeth. But what about him? If he goes down this path with this advice then it would surely look like he was seeking Alasha out for a girlfriend.

He breathed heavily through his nose.

He was just covering for a friend, that was it and that was all.

He nodded towards his comrade, "Thanks Mi, I'll remember that."

"Good," the sergeant stood up and dust some dirt off her pants.

"Then you should survive long enough to suffer some more terrible joking from the rest of us," she then turned and left a rather snubbed Derek behind her, "See you later boot."

Alasha POV

"He won't want to be that forward would he?" Guisha asked with mild concern, "He could give you a disease, maybe even parasites."

"Guisha will you be serious!" Alasha snapped at the younger female.

"I am serious," Guisha murmured as she folded her arms and sat back on the bed, continuing to regard Alasha who had returned to pacing.

"If you are forgetting," Alasha said with clear scorn in her voice, "Derek is an alien and probably doesn't want to be in a courtship no more than I do."

"But he did request to court you," Guisha pointed out.

"He was absent of his senses at the time."

"But the day before you were all but singing praises for such a…fun night you had," Guisha couldn't completely restrain the teasing in her voice.

"I…I did enjoy it," Alasha admitted with some embarrassment before shaking her head, "But that was it. I enjoy talking to him, that is all."

"And dancing apparently," Guisha continued.

Alasha finally released an agitated snarl, finally recognizing the fact that Guisha won't relent the assault on Alasha's chaotic mind. She rubbed her eyes again before speaking.

"Is there a point to all of this?" she asked as she looked Guisha square in the eye.

"What are you striving to get me to see here, Guisha?"

The youngster finally allowed her grin to fade and fell silent.

Alasha could already tell what she was going to say next. Despite her head strong demeanor, Guisha was actually quite sensitive, especially when it came to talking about her own personal feelings.

"I'm just…worried about you sometimes," Guisha admitted with a shrug.

Alasha cocked her head to the side, "Worried about what? Hardly anything has happened here to warrant that."

"It's just…the human," Guisha continued hesitantly, "Are you sure he isn't going to harm you?"

"I'm certain of it," Alasha answered almost instantly, "He would never even think of it."

"Why?" Guisha asked with obvious suspicion.

"Because…because he knows I am stronger and more powerful than he is," Alasha answered with a sure nod.

Guisha didn't look convinced, and why wouldn't she?

Alasha may be an adult now, but if their practice spars had proven anything, it's that she was poorly coordinated and didn't possess the hardness of a warrior. She was brave and kind, just like the old Keep Mistress who was always the diplomatic one of the Keep, and Alasha was growing up to be just like her.

There was something else as well. Alasha spoke with such assurance of the human's intention, and it was there where the root of her concern lied.

"How close are you really with Derek?" She asked next.

Alasha is starting to understand exactly where this was heading now.

"We're friends Guisha," she said a little firmly, "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Are you sure?" the younger pressed.

"Yes," Alasha huffed a little, "What makes you think otherwise?"

"Because this is the only courtship which seems to have left you in such good grace," Guisha commented, "If Busras wasn't here would you have sought after Derek eventually?"

Alasha opened and closed her mandibles. She honestly didn't know. She really did enjoy speaking with Derek, maybe she would have sought him out a few times but never in the way Guisha was implying.

"The humans are our allies now Guisha," Alasha said, "We need to acknowledge it and improve on it."

"Even to the point of love?" Guisha asked.

"Guisha!"

Alasha was astonished with a heated face, "I-"

"I'm just telling you how it looks to me Alasha, this will be how others will see it as well," she gets off the bed and moves closer to the older female.

"Are you prepared for that? People will say you truly are interested in the human," she paused and looks Alasha in the eye, "And I'm starting to wonder if that is possible."

Alasha could only stare. How would her people react to this? Not warmly, that was for sure. They held the humans in scorn, they were once enemies after all and had only allied themselves with them for no other reason than survival.

But then it didn't fully explain her own feelings. How she was thinking of the human more and how they were continuing on with this charade. She was annoyed by this but at the same time…excited.

Derek had proven to be kind, gentle and generally fun to be with it, at least to her. She could have a full conversation with him about anything it seems and he would listen. He was obviously a better substitute than when compared with Busras.

Still, love? She shook her head.

Surely not.

"I am interested in him as a companion Guisha and that is all," she said firmly before deciding to end the conversation as she moved past her sibling, "All notions of love aren't involved."

Guisha watched Alasha exit the room and proceed downstairs, probably for dinner.

"So you say," Guisha muttered to herself and decided to follow her friend out.

A/N Quack: Yay! Final rewritten chapter! Nothing was really changed except for the removal of a few filler words and formatting changes, along with grammatical and vocabulary fixes. 10th chapter here we come.

A/N RedRaptorWriting: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA