Chapter 23: Reconciliation

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

I didn't remember much after that. I went in and out of consciousness so much that I didn't know if I was in a dream or I was back to reality. The Bad Bloods made sure I stayed awake for the pain and torture they stored for me but nothing else. The metal was infused into my skin and it felt like my body was turning into a monster. There were times I thought I was dead, floating in the darkness and waiting for Cetanu to take me.

Daugo . . .

But Mia's voice would come right as I was about to give up hope. The sweetness mixed with worry brought me back to reality. But I wished the pain wouldn't return.

The worst was the burn left behind when a Bad Blood decided to tear off my two mandibles from one side. When he got too close and spit into my face, disgracing Mia, I wanted to kill him. All my hatred urged me on. But with my restraints, I resorted to biting him on the neck and took a few dreadlocks with it. The Bad Blood howled . . . a sound so sweet to my ears. But regret came back when he tore my mandibles off without any anesthesia or pain relief.

You must be joking . . . Why would they give you that?

I went downhill after that. My body grew so weak that I felt my chest heavy. When I was close to dying, they'd pumped me with adrenaline to keep me awake while their healers tended to me at the minimal requirement. They were clumsy fools anyway.

The next thing I knew, I was on a ship. I wasn't sure which one though. They hung me on a rack with my limbs spread out. Mumbles and whispers were the only things I could make out but I had a feeling it wasn't pleasantries.

It was quiet for some time . . . and I liked it. It meant the Bad Bloods were too busy to have 'fun' with me. That is . . . until I felt the world shake around me. An explosion had gone off and it concerned me. I wanted to open my eyes to see but they refused to answer my commands. If the ship was going down though, I would have greeted death willingly. There was nothing else for me to do.

DAUGO!

I heard another voice but it wasn't Mia's. It was stronger and fierce. I wouldn't have known who it was until I smelled jasmine. It couldn't be . . . Anya? She was here? I tried to open my eyes, call her, do anything to show I was here and alive. But all I achieved is a labored breath. I didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified she was here. The Bad Bloods were still around no doubt and I didn't want to imagine what they had done to her.

Everything went dark afterward. My senses were dimmed to nothing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It wasn't until days later that I finally awoke, feeling better than I have in so long. I still ached but the burning sensation from my mandibles and cuts but they were bearable. You've been through worse. I groaned anyway.

I jolted inside when I heard someone calling for me. It was . . . familiar. The smells were hard to detect. There were so many that I couldn't separate them. For once, I had control over my eyes and finally opened them for the first time. The first sight that caught me was Anya. She looked well for herself and I was glad she was okay but confused as to why she was here as well. I wasn't tied up or pinned in any way. The room was different as well as the ship.

It didn't matter. Anya was here, smiling. Her blue eyes shined with the hope that I missed so much.

I only noticed a few seconds later that Lar'ja was next to her. Another good news that filled my chest with warmth. My son was a little thin but still as strong as ever. An unknown male was next to them and I growled, thinking it was a Bad Blood. It took Anya to inform me that he was Yeyinde from the Ma'tu Clan. They were honorable hunters so he didn't pose a threat as I initially thought.

Anya and Lar'ja informed me of the rest . . . of the events I missed while I was out. From what I've been told, they intercepted the ship that held not only me but Arkarb, freeing us from imprisonment . . . but at a cost. It pained me to see the sadness in Anya's eyes upon hearing Olgoth and T'uark's deaths. She continued with the plan of gathering the Yautjas to the Udar system to agree on an Un'tu-at to make Anya the reagent. It was risky but I didn't say my opinion. She was in and out of the conversation, feeling guilty for what had been done. I could tell she was on the verge of tears. My fatherly instincts kicked in and I allowed her to rest beside me. She fell asleep only minutes later.

It was quiet with only me and Lar'ja awake. Anya snoozed away, cuddling closer to me each time I shifted. My arm tightened around her. Her warmth was nice and the peaceful moment was one I wasn't going to waste.

Lar'ja was leaning on the chair when I called him. "Lar'ja?"

He lifted his head. "What is it?"

"How are both of you? Really?"

I knew parts of the answers but hearing from another perspective made me feel better. And Lar'ja wouldn't lie about little things, especially if it involved Anya.

He sighed. "Hanging in there. It's been difficult since we left Earth and even before that . . . Anya being the worst."

I didn't answer back. I let him continue.

"She has been pushing herself to the brink. I worry that this might take a toll on her if we delve further. But she's as stubborn as any Blooded Yautja female . . . if not worse." He shook his head and leaned forward to place his face into his hands.

"I don't know what to do."

For once in his life, I saw Lar'ja at his lowest point. I thought that losing Ba'ku and his mother would be that point. But now . . . this was new. He lowered his head even further, degrading himself to such a position that any Yautja, Blooded or Unblooded, would have reprimanded him for it. If he had met me back when I was a young warrior, I would have made him suffer worse.

But things are different now . . . different people are involved now.

I thought about what to say for a moment, unclear if he would respond well. When I looked down at Anya's sleeping form, I just spat it out. No filters . . . no holding back.

"I understand. All you want is what's best for Anya. But the thing is . . . she has others to protect now. The oomans . . . her Elites . . . you."

Lar'ja looks up curiously. His eyes didn't hide anything from me. They were open like a book or a window to the outside or a door that showed a bigger picture. His mandibles clicked together in uncertainty as if he wanted to say something. Anya began to stir so I had to divert my attention, seeing if she was awake. I forgot that she still had ooman tendencies so she shifted around once in a while. They never stood still, unlike a Yautja who can appear lifeless, able to turn their breath down until it could barely be seen or heard. I stroked her hair gently and it lullabies her to sleep once more.

"Did you feel the same way? With Mother? Ba'kou and I?" Lar'ja asked.

I sighed. I figured he would ask about it sooner.

"Yes. I always feared that your mother would get herself injured or killed. She was reckless sometimes but she pulled through in the end. At least . . . until the true end."

I paused. That last bit made my chest sting but it was necessary. "I had to have faith in her that she'll do the right thing. And in Ba'kou . . . and even you. Despite everything in my life, I never imagined we would be here. We have to think of the silver lining in the clouds."

Lar'ja tilted his head in confusion. "Where did you get that saying?"

I chuckled. My eyes acted like fingers and pointed down below to Anya. My son got the notion quickly and smiled at her. "I should have known."

Both of us laughed quietly. It was a joyous moment we had together. When was the last time we did this? I couldn't remember any, even when Lar'ja was a pup. Not this much at least.

It went quiet after we stopped. Both of us looked down at Anay when she sighed. She seemed peaceful. It was hard to imagine the situation we were in when seeing her like that. All the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow . . . it was like nothing existed.

I didn't move as Lar'ja got off the chair and kneeled next to us. He studied his lifemate for a minute, reaching to comb her brown hair from her face. His claws traced her cheekbone and then to her eyelashes, being careful not to wake her up. Still, her body reacted. Her musk of jasmine became potent and almost made us hold our breath to how thick it was. It didn't matter to Lar'ja. It enticed him to come closer. He reached for her hand and held it in his. She reacted in return, gripping him hard with a smile on her lips.

There was no doubt of the love between them. Reminding me so much of my mate and myself . . . to which I thought I would never see again. I heard a sigh from him but didn't think much of it . . . until he surprised me.

"I'm sorry . . ."

My eyes widened as the words. My mandibles dropped a little. "What did you say?"

He had his head down for a moment until lifting his face to me. "I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass seasons ago." He swallowed. "I was so angry at you for so long . . . blaming you for my mother and Ba'kou's death. But in reality . . . I was angry with myself."

I clicked my mandibles. "Why do you say that?"

"I could have done something to save them. If I had listened and stayed put where I was with Pu'uko, none of this would have happened. I didn't want to admit it at the time. But I guess this was the moment I've been waiting for."

Lar'ja's breath became heavy and labored. It had to be hard for any Yautja to admit their faults. We pride ourselves to not apologize for such idiotic things. But in the privacy of this room, it was alright. And we've been through too much to ignore such feelings now.

"I know . . . I know . . ."

I raised my weak hand and pressed on his shoulder. It was a form of greeting, a friendly gesture from one Yautja to another. He jumped a little in surprise but calmed down quickly.

"I accept your apology. Right now, we need to support Anya as much as we can. I'll do my best to heal quickly and you need to protect her. But also . . . have faith in her. If you believe she can do this, then it will happen."

My son didn't say anything afterward but the look in his golden eyes was enough. We got the reconciliation we needed in such a long time. And it was worth the wait . . .

Lar'ja inched closer until he leaned his head onto Anya's. He inhales deeply, nudging his mandibles on her before closing his eyes. After a minute, he was asleep as well. I stayed awake the rest of the night but enjoyed watching over them, sleeping peacefully. Everything that has happened . . . good and bad . . . I wouldn't have changed it any other way.

I looked up the ceiling and wondered about the future. It was uncertain but my gut and soul told me that everything was going to be alright.

And Mia's voice agreed with a smile on her face . . .

Hi Readers!

Sorry if this was a quick chapter. It was hard for me to find a good balance between telling the events and showing the emotion between father and son (Lar'ja and Daugo). But I'm glad that they finally put aside their differences from the past, coming together to support Anya/Ta'kasa.

But for that, the next chapter will be the final one to this story. It won't come out until Balance is done since I don't want to spoil too much. But I like to give a little sneak peek to the finale. It's simple and yet appropriate but don't let it deceive you. Hehehehe.

Here it is: "H***** E*****".

Find out when the final chapter will be posted soon as Balance is about to end. I hope you can be patient and read Balance until the end! :D

Thank you for all the reviews and Good Hunting! :)))

Reading notes:

Normal = Human speaking English (ooman language)

Bold = Any Yautja speaking English (ooman language)

Bold and Italic = Any Yautja speaking Yautja language