** Holy Smokes! Chapter 40! I never thought that I was going to end up writing this much for this story! I've now hit over 110K words with the third part of Amun's story, and there is still a wee bit left before it is done. I would love to thank all of you who have continued to read each and every chapter of this grand adventure! I hope that is had been one hell of a roller coaster of good, bad and fun!**

Chapter 40: Awake

Bobby waited and watched as the shaking cocoon slowly began to become still and calm. She could tell that her father was becoming happy and content within the warm liquid that held him. She knew that Jolene was helping him to get through this, she could not thank her enough for that. The first born was not sure what she could do to save her father if she had been alone. The queen had been the only one to help so far. The scientist, this Richard, could do nothing. He knew nothing of her father. Bobby sighed and looked down at the sleeping queen with a new sense of friendship and kindness. She was sure she could learn to like this one.

The first born continued to look over the cocoon for any cracks that her father might have created while rustling around inside. She went tip to tip, side to side, checking for anything that looked like it would give way. There were a few smaller cracks that she easily patched up with her construction resin, but nothing major this time. Once she was sure that there were no more cracks, she leapt down from the mound and went to sit beside the slumbering queen.

Bobby looked the queen up and down as she slept, admiring the beauty of her body. It was something that she wished she could be. Her speed, her strength. Bobby could protect her sisters so much more with power like that. Sadly, she knew her role in the hive, there could only be one queen. She was content with her position, only wished she could do more.

Her thoughts went to her mother, to the queen of her hive. She must be back at home by now, she has had the time. Mother, the word almost hurt her now. She wished that Emilia had not left her father here to die. She would never forget that action, and was not sure she would ever be able to forgive it. To leave the one who protected them, who had done nothing but help his family grow. It made her mad thinking of this act of betrayal. She let out a huff to release the tension in her body.

Bobby watched as the queen took in a deep, deep breath and slowly let it out. Her body raising and lowering calmly. It was a good sign that she was not in any panic while dreaming with her father. So, the drone started to make her way onto the back of the larger xenomorph, wanting to curled up and rest. It had been a long day and she needed a break. She was happy to see that there were two other alien drones already napping upon their queen and was more than happy to share the space with them.

It was a while later when her dream state was broken as the lab door that slid open with a low hiss. Bobby raised her head and was a bit surprised to see Charles standing in the door way. They both looked to one another before the human started to make his way towards her. She watched as he came up to the resting queen and began to climb up to join her. Once he was upon her back, he came to rest with his head upon her back while his feet hanging off the side of the queen. Bobby did not mind. It was rather comfortable on her exoskeleton and his warmth was nice. She listened as the human took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. She was not ready for what came next.

"I miss her Bobby." The statement had her attention. "I almost can't believe that she is gone. I... I liked that one, a lot actually. And now she's...she's not coming back." Bobby could tell that he was grieving. The brown mist that was surrounding the man gave it away. She could also tell from his tone that there were tears in the man's eyes. She knew why, the relationship between Abby and Charles had not been a hidden one. Brief, but nothing that needed hiding. It was something that her and her sisters' thought was a beautiful thing. It only made the loss of Abby that much harder, knowing that Charles had lost something as beautiful as a companion.

"I get angry when I think about it. I have to go find somewhere where no one can hear me and break something. I messed up a lab in the back pretty good. Thinking about it now, that was probably a dumb idea, I have no idea what was in those tubes' ha ha! I... I just hate it. I hate the people who did this to your family. To Abby…to Amun." He shook his head while he talked. " I want them to pay. Bobby, I want them dead. But I know that's not what the big guy would want. He always sees the good in every one and never really wants violence. Hell, you should have seen him this one time! We were out drinking one night, and this gorilla of a guy wanted to fight your dad, but tried to convince the guy to sit down and have a drink with us!" Charles let out a quick laugh.

"Imagine that! Someone trying to make a friend out of an enemy just because he thinks violence doesn't help anything. Needless to say, after the peace offering, they guy still wanted to fight. That's when Amun laid the bastard down with a quick step and a right hook. Fell flat on his ass out cold!" Charles paused and smiled at the memory. " But that's Amun! He tries to find any way around a fight until he can't avoid it, then...then he makes sure that he's the one going home."

Bobby sat and listened to the human's story, agreeing with every word. Her father had truly never liked violence as long as she could remember. Even going as far as to avoid all human and live deep in the mountains to make sure of it. But when he had to, he would win no matter the cost. Charles continued to talk; Bobby listened.

"That's how I know we will be fine, despite all that we have lost. Your dad will fight till his heart's stop to make sure they you girls have the life you deserve. I know he will. And this-" He gestured to the cocoon with his one hand. "This is nothing, he will be back up before you know it, playing with you and the girls." Charles took a moment before his next comment.

"I would like to take half of Abby's crystal Bobby. I wanted it so I could remember her. I... I just wanted to ask you before I did." He shifted so he could look the alien drone. "Would that be ok?"

Bobby let out a low purr and draped her tall across the human, letting him know that she would be honored. She was sure that Abby would want that as well. The man placed a hand upon her smooth head and gave her a few pets.

"Thank you." He pulled her in close and hugged her tight. "Imma miss her." Bobby returned the gesture and squeezed the human tightly.

The few xenomorphs, and the single human, stayed on the queens back for quite some time, sleeping the day away. Nothing else was really happening anyway. Every once in a while, there was a bit of shifting around to find more comfortable positions, but that was all. It was not until late into the night that something cut the peace.

It was Jolene who moved first, gently rocking her body back and forth to let her daughters know that she would like to stand. At the motion, every xenomorph scattered. Bobby, not knowing that Jolene had woken up, grabbed Charles and took him down to the ground. The smaller Xenomorphs waited and watched as the large queen roused from her slumber and stood tall. Stretching out her arms, legs and tail. It felt good after such a long sleep.

Once done, she looked down to her daughters and to Bobby, all of which were looking up at her. They were all waiting for news. She said nothing. She turned her head towards the cocoon and watched in silence. Bobby took a step towards the queen, wanting to break the tension.

"Is Father…is he alright?" The first born asked. Jolene turned her large head towards her and sent her a mental smile.

"Why don't you ask him your self, little one?" The queen responded, filling the drone with excitement, knowing what the statement meant. Bobby moved her gaze from the queen towards the large cocoon that now began to move. It was not violent, but smooth and precise. She then felt the mental touch of her father, who was now also awake.

"Holy shit! Is he? Is he ok?" Charles cried out in excitement as he watched large cracks begin to form in the cocoon. The man ran over to the near by computer consul and hit a button. "Jenna! Jenna, get to the bio chamber! Amun's coming out! Hurry!" He spoke into the PA system that rang through out the entire lab.

It was not a moment later when a large xenomorph hand emerged from the top of the cocoon and released slime from his constructed chamber. Charles watched as the giant hand's claws flexed and tensed, like it had been curled up for far too long. It then found the opening of the cocoon it had just made and began to push and pull it apart. Making it larger.

Jolene moved forward to help, using her large hands to rip and tear away the cocoon that held the king in place. Section after section came free with the power of the two royal aliens as they continued to destroy the confinements that had held Amun. More and more of the alien king became visible. As the walls of the cocoon had become weaker, and because of his large size, Amun came spilling out in a rush of slime and resin. When the king was fully freed and laying upon the ground, Jolene took a few steps back, giving Amun some room to take in his first few breaths.

He breathed deep, letting his chest expand and stretch. However, he then began to cough up liters and liters of slime that had been within his lungs. Jolene moved to help the king, but realized that he just needed to get it out. So, sadly, she stayed back and could only watch and Amun violently hacked up the liquid. Eventually, he stopped and took in another deep breath, this time it was not followed with a coughing fit.

It felt good to breath air once more, taking in a few more good breaths. The king then stretched out his limbs and tail, taking them to their full extent and then relaxing. He then moved slowly to stand up where he stumbled back to the floor, his knees giving way to his own weight. Jolene moved forward quickly and put her arms out to help him. The king looked to the queen and took her hand gladly. With her help, he was standing on his own two feet soon after.

Amun stood to his full height, it felt good to stretch but something felt different. The king looked to his own hands, noticing that his claws seemed bigger, thicker. He then looked to the hard exo-skeleton that made up his forearm and noticed that it had changed shape. It was heavier and more ridged. He looked to his legs and noticed that the biological plates that he had were also larger and sharper. He had changed. How much, he could not tell. He looked to the queen who was starting back at him.

"Jolene, what…what's happened to me?" He asked, worried about the response he would receive.

Jolene said nothing, but took a moment to walk around the king, looking him over from head to toe. His armor had grown, his tail blade was larger, his rib cage was almost now a solid plate of exoskeleton. He still had his back tubes, but their placement seemed different. His crown had also changed, it was similar to what it had been before, but with minor differences. The one dramatic change was what now caged his jaw line.

Two large tusks had grown from the sides of Amun's skull and flowed along his jaw line. They then protruded outward for a few feet into terrifying points. Jolene looked at the weapons in awe, the looked as if they could split metal as if it were butter.

"You look….dang-erouse." It was an accurate description. One that he could agree with as he continued to look over the parts of his body he could see. "Your…back?" She asked. Amun tried to look over his shoulder to see, but was unable to notice anything new. That's when he felt it.

Flexing his muscles, his rib cage snapped open and they came forth. His large back spikes once again snapped up and over top his shoulders. It was the second pair of spikes that cam with them that were the surprise. Only these spikes were much larger and came up between the fins of Amun's crown. Their tips coming a few feet past the surface of his head, not that different from a stinger of a scorpion. Jolene was taken back by the action.

"What? Where are they?" Amun could feel that there was something new, but he could not tell what it was doing. That is, until he tried to move his head and was pinned by the position on the new weapons. "O….well, isn't that interesting." He said as he reached up with his hand and felt the tips of his new spikes. Just then, Scarlette came running through the lab doors, Jenna within her large arms.

"Father!" She yelled as she sprinted towards him, not putting poor Jenna down first. She came to a screeching halt at his feet. Amun moved himself low to meet her.

"Hello my Daughter, have you missed me?" He asked while sending her a mental smile.

"Very much so! We were all worried sick, you were not getting better and someone said something about your heart failing. I thought you had died." Amun let out a laugh.

"Not quite yet, it will take more then that to get rid of me." He brought his head back up and looked to Jolene. The Queen looked to him as she felt a more serious feeling begin to emanate from him.

"What is…..wrong?" She asked as she looked at him, wondering what was wrong.

"Where is he?" The growl that came from the king could have boiled blood.