Author's Note: ::hides behind Preed:: Hi guys. I know it's been . . forever and a day since I updated this. Please don't hurt me. ::peeks out:: This chapter is kinda short, but I wanted to get it out. As soon as summer gets here the chapters are gonna come faster. So, without further ado (adu? How is that spelled? Eh, whatever. You know what I mean. lol)here's chapter two!
--
Kiken's hands flew to her mouth in surprise. "It . . . it can't be," she stuttered. Akima and Cale came in behind her, looking over at the alien in sickbay. Their expressions both changed into ones of discust.
"He's alive?" Cale asked, the hate clear in his voice.
"Preed," Kiken whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She stood watching the chest of the Akrennian move up and down - he was breathing. He was alive. Preed was still unconsious, but other than that, he looked in decient health. "How," she whispered, when she finaly found her voice. "How is he alive? His neck was broken . . ."
Janon came to stand next to her. "It was only fractured, not broken. Korso was strong, but not strong enough to break an Akreennian's thick neck. He was brought in by one of his formor crewmembers. She told us to burry him, but when she left, I saw that he was still alive - barely. I took him to sickbay and used our most advanced equipment to repair his vertebre. He's lucky to be alive. If he hadn't been brought here, he would have died. "
Kiken walked over to the uncounsious Akrennian, looking down at him in unbelief. Preed had been alive - for the past two months he had been alive. "Has he woken up at all?"
"A few times," Kannon told her. "However, he keeps slipping back into unconsciousness. The last time he woke, he stayed up long enough for us to explain to him what had happened."
"Stith must have been the one who brought him back," Akima stated. "If only she had left him on the Titan a little longer. Then he would be dead like he deserves."
"Watch what you say," Kiken hissed at the human. "Preed doesn't diserve death."
Cale exploaded in anger. "Doesn's diserve death? He tried to kill us, along with the whole human race!"
The Akrennian female shook her head in defiance. "You don't understand. You don't know the whole story." One of her tears rolled down her cheek and dropped onto Preed's lips. He stirred, causing everyone's attention to be focused on him. Licking his lips, he tasted the saltiness of Kiken's teardrop and his eyes fluttered open. "Preed?" Kiken whispered gently.
His bleary eyes turned in her direction and he fought to focus his vision on the form looking down at him. A small smile formed on his lips. His first word came out in a hoarse whisper. "Kiki."
She laughed as more tears started to fall. "As much as I hate that nickname, it's so good to hear you call me that again."
Preed's smile broadened as he wiped her tears away with a shakey hand. "It's good to be able to call you that again."
Kiken bent and placed a kiss on his forehead. "You're so stupid," she whispered. "I told you not to make a deal with the Drej, didn't I? Didn't I? I knew you would get hurt."
"You were correct, as always." It was then that Preed noticed Cale and Akima. "I see you two survived."
"No thanks to you," Akima spat bitterly. "You should be dead, Preed. You have no right to be living."
"Gune and Stith?" the male Akrennian asked, ignoring the girl's acusation.
"They're alive too." Cale answered.
Preed nodded. "I should have known Gune would find out about the explosive in time to save them."
Kiken decided to take charge. "Hush," she said, putting a finger to Preed's lips. "You're waisting your strength. Rest now." She bent down and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Akima was slightly surprised at the tenderness of the kiss exchanged between the two Akrennians. However, Preed ruined any repsect Akima even thought about showing the alien when he grabbed the female's rear.
She quickly broke from the kiss and slapped his hand away. "I see that your near death experiance hasn't hurt your sense of humor."
"Sorry. Couldn't resist," Preed chuckled, glancing at their small audience.
"Now, get some rest."
Preed cast her a pleading look. "Stay with me? We have some catching up to do."
Kiken looked toward the captain who nodded his aproval. "We'll leave them alone for a while. Let me know if he nodds off again." The humans left, leaving the aliens alone.
Kiken shook her head slowly. "I can't believe you. You go and risk your life for what? A little spending money?"
"It was more than a little, Kiken. It was millions."
"I don't care." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It wasn't worth losing your life over."
"The Drej would have killed me if I hadn't acepted their offer."
"Who's to say they wouldn't have blown up the Titan with you on it while you were busy killing Cale and the others?"
Preed sighed and turned his head away from the female's penetrating gaze. "It was a lot of money," he replied lamely. He felt her gently touch his cheek, and he looked up to see her grey eyes full of tears.
"When I heard you had been killed . . ." She broke off and closed her eyes, letting out a sigh to steady her emotions. She opened them again, her eyes now free of tears. "Promise me you won't ever do anything that dangerous again."
"I can't promise you that," Preed said coldly.
She frowned at the tone of voice he had used. "Are you planning to double-cross Akima and Cale again?" she asked softly.
"If necessary."
"I would advise against it."
Preed scowled. "Why? Because they are your friends?"
Kiken gently ran her fingers around his tattered ear. "No. I have no friends, I have allies. Friends are a weakness," she recited. "I just don't want you killed . . . again"
"What's wrong with you, Kiken?" he sneered, pushing her hand away. "You've become sickingly sentimental."
The female Akrennian shrugged. "Yeah, well, seeing someone you care about practicly come back from the dead has that effect on you."
Preed was silent for a moment. Someone she cared about? Kiken almost sounded as if she liked him as more than a "friend." But . . . she had never shown any intrest in him before. She knew better than to try to get romanticly involved with him. To do so would be playing with fire. She knew his reputation. Sure, he and Kiken flirted, but that was all in fun. Right? She was just a little shaken up. Kiken would be back to normal in a hour or two.
"I'm sorry," she said, with a little chuckle. "I know I'm acting crazy. I was just so upset when I heard that you had been killed . . ."
Preed took the female's shakey hand in his own, and pulled her closer to him. His voice took on a gentler tone. "I'm not that easy to kill, dear-heart."
"Thank goodness."
He kissed the top of her hand and spoke again, his voice becoming stern. "When I am fully healed, I want you to get off this ship."
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
Kiken pulled her hand out of his grasp. She crossed her hands across her chest and smiled. "Now, Preed, you know I don't trust you in the least."
He chuckled. "Well, in the past that has been a wise choice, my dear. However, I would prefer not to see you shot; therefore I would advise you to do as I say."
"You'd shoot me?" she asked, cocking her head, with a playfull smile on her face.
"You know I would." His tone of voice clearly told her he was not joking. "However, I will not be the one to end your life if you stay on this ship."
"You think Cale and Akima would shoot me?"
"Not them."
"Then who?"
Preed shook his head. "Just leave the ship when I tell you to and you won't be injured."
((Ooooh . . . what's Preed plotting? Next chapter, Preed starts down the road to recovery and hatches a plan for revenge on Cale and Akima.))
--
Kiken's hands flew to her mouth in surprise. "It . . . it can't be," she stuttered. Akima and Cale came in behind her, looking over at the alien in sickbay. Their expressions both changed into ones of discust.
"He's alive?" Cale asked, the hate clear in his voice.
"Preed," Kiken whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She stood watching the chest of the Akrennian move up and down - he was breathing. He was alive. Preed was still unconsious, but other than that, he looked in decient health. "How," she whispered, when she finaly found her voice. "How is he alive? His neck was broken . . ."
Janon came to stand next to her. "It was only fractured, not broken. Korso was strong, but not strong enough to break an Akreennian's thick neck. He was brought in by one of his formor crewmembers. She told us to burry him, but when she left, I saw that he was still alive - barely. I took him to sickbay and used our most advanced equipment to repair his vertebre. He's lucky to be alive. If he hadn't been brought here, he would have died. "
Kiken walked over to the uncounsious Akrennian, looking down at him in unbelief. Preed had been alive - for the past two months he had been alive. "Has he woken up at all?"
"A few times," Kannon told her. "However, he keeps slipping back into unconsciousness. The last time he woke, he stayed up long enough for us to explain to him what had happened."
"Stith must have been the one who brought him back," Akima stated. "If only she had left him on the Titan a little longer. Then he would be dead like he deserves."
"Watch what you say," Kiken hissed at the human. "Preed doesn't diserve death."
Cale exploaded in anger. "Doesn's diserve death? He tried to kill us, along with the whole human race!"
The Akrennian female shook her head in defiance. "You don't understand. You don't know the whole story." One of her tears rolled down her cheek and dropped onto Preed's lips. He stirred, causing everyone's attention to be focused on him. Licking his lips, he tasted the saltiness of Kiken's teardrop and his eyes fluttered open. "Preed?" Kiken whispered gently.
His bleary eyes turned in her direction and he fought to focus his vision on the form looking down at him. A small smile formed on his lips. His first word came out in a hoarse whisper. "Kiki."
She laughed as more tears started to fall. "As much as I hate that nickname, it's so good to hear you call me that again."
Preed's smile broadened as he wiped her tears away with a shakey hand. "It's good to be able to call you that again."
Kiken bent and placed a kiss on his forehead. "You're so stupid," she whispered. "I told you not to make a deal with the Drej, didn't I? Didn't I? I knew you would get hurt."
"You were correct, as always." It was then that Preed noticed Cale and Akima. "I see you two survived."
"No thanks to you," Akima spat bitterly. "You should be dead, Preed. You have no right to be living."
"Gune and Stith?" the male Akrennian asked, ignoring the girl's acusation.
"They're alive too." Cale answered.
Preed nodded. "I should have known Gune would find out about the explosive in time to save them."
Kiken decided to take charge. "Hush," she said, putting a finger to Preed's lips. "You're waisting your strength. Rest now." She bent down and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Akima was slightly surprised at the tenderness of the kiss exchanged between the two Akrennians. However, Preed ruined any repsect Akima even thought about showing the alien when he grabbed the female's rear.
She quickly broke from the kiss and slapped his hand away. "I see that your near death experiance hasn't hurt your sense of humor."
"Sorry. Couldn't resist," Preed chuckled, glancing at their small audience.
"Now, get some rest."
Preed cast her a pleading look. "Stay with me? We have some catching up to do."
Kiken looked toward the captain who nodded his aproval. "We'll leave them alone for a while. Let me know if he nodds off again." The humans left, leaving the aliens alone.
Kiken shook her head slowly. "I can't believe you. You go and risk your life for what? A little spending money?"
"It was more than a little, Kiken. It was millions."
"I don't care." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It wasn't worth losing your life over."
"The Drej would have killed me if I hadn't acepted their offer."
"Who's to say they wouldn't have blown up the Titan with you on it while you were busy killing Cale and the others?"
Preed sighed and turned his head away from the female's penetrating gaze. "It was a lot of money," he replied lamely. He felt her gently touch his cheek, and he looked up to see her grey eyes full of tears.
"When I heard you had been killed . . ." She broke off and closed her eyes, letting out a sigh to steady her emotions. She opened them again, her eyes now free of tears. "Promise me you won't ever do anything that dangerous again."
"I can't promise you that," Preed said coldly.
She frowned at the tone of voice he had used. "Are you planning to double-cross Akima and Cale again?" she asked softly.
"If necessary."
"I would advise against it."
Preed scowled. "Why? Because they are your friends?"
Kiken gently ran her fingers around his tattered ear. "No. I have no friends, I have allies. Friends are a weakness," she recited. "I just don't want you killed . . . again"
"What's wrong with you, Kiken?" he sneered, pushing her hand away. "You've become sickingly sentimental."
The female Akrennian shrugged. "Yeah, well, seeing someone you care about practicly come back from the dead has that effect on you."
Preed was silent for a moment. Someone she cared about? Kiken almost sounded as if she liked him as more than a "friend." But . . . she had never shown any intrest in him before. She knew better than to try to get romanticly involved with him. To do so would be playing with fire. She knew his reputation. Sure, he and Kiken flirted, but that was all in fun. Right? She was just a little shaken up. Kiken would be back to normal in a hour or two.
"I'm sorry," she said, with a little chuckle. "I know I'm acting crazy. I was just so upset when I heard that you had been killed . . ."
Preed took the female's shakey hand in his own, and pulled her closer to him. His voice took on a gentler tone. "I'm not that easy to kill, dear-heart."
"Thank goodness."
He kissed the top of her hand and spoke again, his voice becoming stern. "When I am fully healed, I want you to get off this ship."
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
Kiken pulled her hand out of his grasp. She crossed her hands across her chest and smiled. "Now, Preed, you know I don't trust you in the least."
He chuckled. "Well, in the past that has been a wise choice, my dear. However, I would prefer not to see you shot; therefore I would advise you to do as I say."
"You'd shoot me?" she asked, cocking her head, with a playfull smile on her face.
"You know I would." His tone of voice clearly told her he was not joking. "However, I will not be the one to end your life if you stay on this ship."
"You think Cale and Akima would shoot me?"
"Not them."
"Then who?"
Preed shook his head. "Just leave the ship when I tell you to and you won't be injured."
((Ooooh . . . what's Preed plotting? Next chapter, Preed starts down the road to recovery and hatches a plan for revenge on Cale and Akima.))