Notes: Chapter 3, a long time in the making, is finally typed!  Woo!  Hope ya enjoy it!  You'll see a lot of my Star Wars obsessiveness in the details about Alec's ship… incidentally, the Blood Phoenix is the name of a ship I created for a character in one of my Star Wars stories.  Ok, enough prattle.  Read on and enjoy!

"So, how long 'till we reach Earth?" Blade asked as she peered out the viewports at the stars streaking by.  The Blood Phoenix rumbled reassuringly as it had for the past five hours, its floorboards shaking slightly at the pulse of the powerful engines.  Alec seemed to have a psychic connection to the craft, as if his mere thought could send the ship into an evasive roll or a swift dive.  Ryuten's pursuit ships were left far behind.

            "We're still a ways away," Alec replied.  He was leaning back in his chair, feet on the control panel, arms behind his head.  Though he seemed relaxed, Blade could sense the tension in him.  He was tired. 

            "Well, why don't you take a break?  I can fly for a bit," Blade said.

            "Are you sure?" he asked, sitting up.

            "Positive," she grinned.  "I love starships.  When I was little, I was a master flyer.  We Nekojins needed some way of getting up off the ground, since we never evolved wings."

            Alec stood up and switched places with Blade, allowing her access to the Pheonix's main controls.  "Where did you come from?" he asked curiously.  "I'd never even heard of Nekojins before I met you and your sister."

            "My homeworld is Feralis, sixth planet of the Tigris Star," Blade replied.  "It' pretty isolated.  We Nekojins enjoy our solitude."

            "Do you remember much about it?" he asked fighting back a tired yawn.  He didn't want to seem disinterested, because then she might not tell him her story.

            "It was very green, very open," Blade said.  "I lived in Catclaw city, on the edge of a great river.  You could say it was the capital city of the region.  My parents were mighty Nekojin warriors, well-respected and powerful, so my family was fairly influential.  I was just starting my training when I was kidnapped, but Keno never got past learning how to control her transformations."  Blade heaved a sigh.  "I wish I could have saved my parents…"

            Alec was silent for a moment, feeling awkward.  How could he ever feel normal around her?  She looked over and noticed his uncomfortable expression and smiled reassuringly.  "Don't feel bad about it.  You proved your goodness in saving us."

            Alec's wings relaxed a little.  "Thank you," he said softly.

            She nodded, smiling warmly.  "So, tell me about your life."

            "It's pretty dull," he laughed.  "There's not really much to tell.  I'm an only child… at least, I was the only child my mother ever had.  My mother…" he paused.  "I don't remember much about her.  She died when I was very little."

            "So your father raised you?"

            "No, actually.  I know who my father is, of course, but he put me in foster-care when my mother died.  Frankly, I think he just didn't want the responsibility of caring for me.  I don't think he ever really loved my mother."  Alec's expression became bitter and angry, and Blade nodded understandingly.

            "That must be terrible," she said.  "I'm sure your mother loved you very much."

            "I like to think so," Alec replied.  "After all, she lived long enough to have me, right?"  He quirked a hollow grin, as if trying to shrug off the shadows of his past.  "I never forgave my father for abandoning me… but he did give me one good thing.  He put me through the most prestigious scientific academies on the planet, training me to be a Ryuten scientist.  He thought I'd be just another mindless drone, one he could trust… he thought the bonds of shared genetics made me loyal to him."  Alec made a wry face.  "That probably would have been true, if you hadn't made me realize how wrong I was."

            "Why do your people conduct these experiments?" Blade asked.  "The research facility seemed massive."

            "The Ryuten people believe that harvesting the abilities of other races is the only way to survive," Alec replied softly.  "A long time ago, my homeworld was invaded by a much stronger race.  We were unable to defeat the enemy, and many Ryutens died.  So the smartest of our population came up with a way to harvest the lifeforce of our enemy… and it went on from there.  I suppose we took it too far."

            "Everyone has something in their past they'd rather forget," Blade said gently.  "You're different from your fellow scientists.  You understand."

            "Thanks," he said, a lopsided grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.  "You've put my mind at ease."

            Blade felt her heart beat faster, a wave of heady infatuation washing over her.  "Then rest your eyes," she said succinctly, her voice clipped to cover her feelings.  "We don't know what we're walking into."

            "Good idea."  He gave her one last grin, then huddled up against the bulkhead, wings folded over him. 

            "Sleep well," Blade said quietly.  She suddenly had an insane desire to reach out and touch his golden-red pinion feathers, so shiny in the dim light of the cockpit, but resisted the impulse.  There would be enough time later to show her feelings for this brave young man… and in her heart, she felt fear.  Was she ready to trust someone with her heart?

~-~-~-

            A short while later the incessant beeping of proximity alarms brought Alec back to his senses.  He ruffled his feathers a bit, stretched his wings as much as the cramped space would allow, and put his glasses on.  "Are we there?" he asked, turning to Blade.

            "Yep," she replied.  "I was just about to wake you."  She grinned a bit sheepishly.  "I don't exactly know how to land this thing."

            "All right, I'll do it," Alec said, switching places with her again.  "Are you going to tell the others?"

            "Sure."  She exited the cockpit and carefully traversed the rumbling, narrow passageway to the main cabin.  Keno snorted suddenly into wakefulness when she heard footsteps and blinked her eyes rapidly to clear her head. 

            "I wasn't asleep," she said quickly as she rose groggily to her feet.

            "Oh, of course you weren't," Blade said sarcastically.  She carefully shook Magenta's shoulder, waking the Saiyan guard.  "Magenta," she said, "wake up."

            Magenta's ebony eyes blinked open, and she was on her feet in an instant.  Her wild hair looked slightly more disarrayed than usual.  "Is everything all right?"

            "Of course," Blade said reassuringly.  "Calm down.  We're just landing."  She turned to the still-sleeping Celeb, a wave of uneasiness washing over her as she looked upon the princess's exhausted, pain-filled features.  "Celeb, wake up," she said.

            Celeb's eyes opened slowly, adjusting swiftly to the dim light.  "Is it that time already?" She absently fixed her black hair so that two strands fell to frame her pale face.

            Magenta nodded.  "Yes, princess, we should be landing on earth shortly."

            "Did you have a bad dream again?" Keno asked, concerned.

            Celeb closed her eyes briefly.  "Yeah… just memories that refuse to die."  She looked up at Blade questioningly.  "Who's piloting the ship?"

            "Alec took over for me."

            "Aww… your boyfriend gave you a break!" Keno giggled.  "How kawaii!"

            Blade's eyes narrowed, her tail poofed up, a slow hiss escaping from between her teeth.  Keno stopped her teasing immediately, knowing when not to push her overtired sister any further.

            Blade stood up a bit unsteadily as the ship bounced upward with the buffeting waves of gravity pounding its shields.  She walked to the cockpit where Alec was steering the ship intently.  "Will this thing hold up?" she asked as the ship rocked violently to one side.

            "Are you kidding?"  He turned briefly, a wild grin on his face.  "She'll skirt the outside of a black hole with a good pilot at her controls.  Gravity is nothing."

            Blade made a wry face and clutched the seat, her normally excellent balance destroyed by the rocking ship.  "If you say so.  How much longer 'till we land?"

            "Not long," Alec replied.  He turned to face Celeb, who had followed Blade to the forward end of the ship.  "Why are you taking us here, anyway?"

            Celeb frowned.  "Not that it's any of your business, nerd-boy, but my brother is there."

            Alec blinked in surprise.  "You have a brother?  I didn't know that."

            "There's a lot you don't know about me," Celeb replied a bit stiffly.  She then turned sharply and left the cockpit.  Alec looked back to the controls, confusion over Celeb's behavior evident in his expression.  Why was she so cold towards him?  Did it have to do with his father?  Whatever the reason, Celeb sure wasn't telling him… or anyone, for that matter.

~-~-~-

            Alec carefully set the Blood Phoenix down where Celeb directed him to, leaving the weapons systems active until the last moment.  He hated leaving his ship so exposed to danger, and the vast open field they had landed in was about the most exposed place he could think of.  He had little choice in the matter, though, and resignedly opened the ship to allow the passengers to exit.  Magenta left first, signaling to the others when she saw no danger.  Celeb followed, then Blade and Keno, and finally Alec.  He locked up his ship and turned on the landing shields before descending the exit ramp.

            Blade's sharp eyes scanned the area, picking out three figures in front of a nearby house.  One, a male humanoid with rather tall black hair, was eyeing Celeb with something close to shock on his face.  Celeb darted from the group and ran to him, hugging him tightly.  To everyone's surprise, the man hugged her back.  Blade's tail swished in confusion.  Who were these people?  She felt a feather brush her hand and turned to see Alec smiling reassuringly.  She managed to force a smile back and closed her fingers around the feather for a moment.

            The group followed Celeb towards the house, everyone moving a little uneasily.  The two Nekojins' discomfort seemed to transfer to the others.  One of the three other humanoids, a female with bright blue hair, spoke up.  "Um, excuse me, but can someone tell me who these people are?"

            The man turned to her and explained.  Much to Blade's surprise, he seemed to know Celeb and Magenta well.  "The two saiyans are Celeb and her guard, Magenta.  The others, I have no clue."

            A teenaged boy with white-purple hair piped up next.  "Dad, you have a sister?  How come you never mentioned her?"

            "I was told she was dead," his father replied. 

            "But this still doesn't tell me who these other people are," the blue-haired woman complained.

            Magenta explained.  "The cat-like girl is Blade, and the younger one standing next to her is her sister Keno.  This guy is Blade's boyfriend, Alec."

            Blade bared her fangs.  "He is not my boyfriend!"  Alec rolled his eyes.  Keno suppressed a grin.

            Celeb's eyes lit up with laughter for the first time in years.  "Ok, we've introduced ourselves, but who are these people Vegeta?  Your wife and kids?"

            Vegeta, the male, smirked.  "Yes, they are."

            Celeb stopped laughing abruptly.  "…oh."

            "I'm Bulma," the blue-haired woman said, "and this is my son Trunks and my daughter Bra."  She handed a small girl to Celeb, who's face lit up.

            "She's so cute, just like her aunty," Celeb said as she rocked the little girl.

            "So where have you been all these years?" Vegeta asked.

            Celeb's smile faded a bit.  "Later… after dinner, when the little one is in bed."

            "All right," Vegeta said, "but I warn you, the woman's food is shite."

            Celeb laughed.  "She can't be worse than Alec."  Alec scowled fiercely.

            Keno leaned into Trunks.  "Can I sit next to you?  You're hot!"

            Blade laughed as the young man's cheeks flushed pink.  This would be an interesting visit…

~-~-~-

            Blade tried to keep from looking like a pig as she ate, but didn't really succeed in that regard.  She was starving and would eat anything, including the less-than-appetizing meal Bulma had created.  Celeb, Magenta, and Keno were also inhaling their food.  Alec seemed more reserved, picking delicately at the brownish mass on his plate.  Celeb and her brother were chattering companionably, and Blade felt slightly uncomfortable and awkward.

            "You're right, bro-bro, this food is terrible!" Celeb commended as she stuffed another forkful into her mouth.

            Bulma and Trunks laughed.  "The mighty saiyan no ouji, reduced to Bro-Bro!"

            Vegeta scowled and crossed his arms.  "I hate being called that, Celeb."

            "But that's what makes it so fun!"

            Magenta, who had been staring at Vegeta the whole meal, finally spoke.  "You're missing your tail."

            "Yeah," he grimaced, "it got cut off."

            "I bet Alec can help," Blade said.  "He's quite the scientist."

            Alec couldn't help but grin at the compliment.  "Yeah, but it may take a while."

            Keno grinned evilly.  "Blade and Alec sittin' in a tree!  K-I-S-S-I… uh… n… g…" she trailed off, gulping as Blade glared at her.

            Trunks stood up and picked up Bra.  "I'm going to go put little Bra to bed," he said.

            "I'll help," said Keno, sensing that the adults needed to talk alone.  She followed Truks upstairs.  As they left, Bulma turned to Celeb.

            "So, what happened anyway?"

            Celeb took a deep breath.  "After we were kidnapped, Magenta and I were taken to a secret lab on the planet Ryuten.  We met Blade and Keno there a few months before our escape, and Alec is one of the scientists from the lab.  He helped us escape.  They did many experiments on us there, changing some of our genetics.  That's why my eyes are now silver and Magenta's hair is… well… Magenta.  It also effects our healing rate and other things.  Eventually after certain events I decided we should leave and planned an escape."  Blade bristles involuntarily at that.  Alec was the one who had created the escape.  Why didn't Celeb acknowledge that?

            "What events?" Vegeta asked suspiciously.

            "That's not important," Celeb replied softly.  "Anyway, we're going to need all the help we can get."

            Blade's thoughts turned inward as Vegeta began listing their allies.  Why was Celeb so hostile towards Alec?  And why did she herself feel so protective of the winged young man?  Well… that, she supposed, was easy enough to answer.  She loved him… but did he love her back?  And how could she tell him that?