Chapter 3 - Just Popping Off

They stumbled through an old farm house, it was a little worse for ware but still liveable. The D directed Pol up the stairs to a musty old study filled with computers, which inexplicably had a large upturned wooden chest at the back. "And into the chest." Pol almost dropped the larger man, they both would not fit in that chest. This guy isn't an alien, he's just a crazy. What a wasted journey.

D wriggled out of the unmoving young man's grasp, and true to his word staggered straight into the large upturned chest. Bright warm lights turning on as an applause like gurgle greeted him. The computer system booted, scanning him, ready to start the reaction. Only a few more steps and he could relax, it would be over once more, a moment of peace not worrying about… oh no, Alexa.

Pol had swallowed his judgement and wondered in. Only to find that the alien had caught on fire! Glowing and spitting red from every limb, even his face, which bizarrely was changing? Pol had no clue what to do in this situation, if he got any closer to help, would the fire envelop him too? Now this was uncanny the face of the alien was changing, his hair was growing out lighter and down. As he was growing shorter and smaller. Younger, more feminine even. "That's impossible!" The alien stopped burning and the impossible had happened, where there was once a man stood a girl that appeared a similar age to what he appeared. She reached out in front of her starring at her now smaller hands. She moved about a bit, very unsure of her footing, falling forward slightly, and. She noticed she had breasts. Well that's what Pol assumed, her jaw dropped. She even ripped open the front of her shirt to doubled check. "I need a mirror, what happened?" She dashed some windy stairs. Pol took a chance to look around and the space amazed him. Flashing lights and buttons on every wall, every one of his boyhood fantasies of spaceships shoved into one space. Marvy, like being in a HG Wells novel!

The new D ambled down the stairs very uncomfortable in her own skin "Sorry about all of this, my species developed a system to cheat death." She carried a full length mirror and a bag of odd clothes. She positioned the mirror unsteadily against the main console of the ship, and stated fishing out clothing from her bag. "Even when mortally wounded when we get back to our ships they are programmed to reshuffle our DNA to a safer shape. Healing itself in the process too." She kept on holding up mens clothes and pouting cutely whenever they wouldn't have a hope of fitting. "What was your name by the way? How do I look." She looked back at the boy briefly, completely not registering what going around with her shirt completely unbuttoned was doing to the teenager watching her. Having no luck just yet with the clothes she admired who she was. "Oh my poor daughter is insecure about her appearance! I seem to have mimicked her in a lot of ways but not colouring. Hmmmm…" She stopped to prod her breasts again, then fished out a bra and a corset, grimacing in pain at the though of having to use either.

"The name is Pol… But you were a man?"
"Yes Paul, I've got to get used to life without a penis. Erm it's like my survival instincts chopped it off. I will really miss him." She pouted, so adorably he couldn't even bring himself to correct her. Guess it's 'Paul' from now on then.

She went for the corset, undressing completely, swapping her trousers for shorts and found a mostly fitting unisex t-shirt. "Right Paul, do you know how to lace one of these things up? Cause I've only ever had to take them off before." "Erm sure. But don't ask why."
"Wait, no. I'm remembering a time someone did convince me to wear one, oh, handsome." She waited for him to "Get on with it, then." she flashed him a winning smile.
"I'm very strong."
"Good, it'll go faster."
"But you don't-"
"Still want to be introduced to the wonders of the universe? Then remember I'm the alien that just cheated death, I don't think I'll be defeated by a corset." Paul finally obliged but still decided to use as little force as possible, she was fairy dainty, and he knew he could snap her like a twig.

So there "she" stood, D appraised herself for the last time in the mirror, she'd discovered a jacket and cravat in room 2553 children's clothing and was as "herself" as she felt she could be.
"So universe?" She started to push a few buttons, and spun a nob. "Actually I should check on my daughter and let her know I'm popping out." She dashed out of the door, leaving Paul still trying to figure out how this dream was going to work out, and if he could get away with pressing any of the button himself!

A rat ran out of the hole in the floorboards behind the television screen, Alexa caught it straight in between the eyes with a throwing stake, she had to rest up and she was not happy about it. She was seldom even scratched when she fought vampires now-a-days let alone a single one who looked more like a school boy than a gigantic murderous demon she could attract. All she could do was fidget and research the vampires with red eyes. D would know more about them, he always knew something, even if it was minute or inconsequential, he was just a monumental font of information, and she loved him for it. He'd inspired her so much over the years, when it had just been just the two of them, against the world, against the forces of darkness. He'd taught her to fight, to protect herself, to protect others, to find an understanding with others, to lust for knowledge, and to love and accept others, no matter how different you are. Kind of at odd with her vampire hunter destiny, but what would she have been without him. Would she have been able to save anyone ever, or just been a machine of violence, a monster as bad as the vampires she hunted? She missed Sarah and Edmund, even though they were such a mismatched bunch. Sarah was also one of those people that didn't judge anyone by appearance like D, it got her in soo much trouble, but made their friendship on her pretty tragic first day of school. She checked her phone, not a single message from her yet.

A mad victorian urchin, neither obviously male or female, bounded into her living room. Had D brought home a random stray again? "Ah Alexa, I'm just popping off, I'll see you tomorrow!" The strange person, beamed at her patiently waiting for a reply. Alexa shrugged of the fur blanket she'd been hugging, exposing the extensive bandages around her shoulder, that due to her supernatural healing didn't mask much of an injury anymore.
"I hope you don't mind me asking but… Who are you?" Perching on the edge of the sofa legs wide open to support her elbows as she rested her chin on her clasped hands.
"What do you mean? Alexa it's-" D remember her physical adjustment. She had never explained much about aliens to her daughter, she was always too young, and had so much to know about and explore on this planet, telling her about aliens and time travel would just complicate things. But now, she had a huge problem. "I'm um, you know your guardian D? Something happened to him."
"What!" Alexa jumped up and captured the smaller female by the shoulders, and started to shake her. "What's happened? Where is he?"
The alien "He's fine, just not, well…"
"He's not well? Take me to him!"
"I can't, no he's well he's fine he's…"
"Just tell me!"
She couldn't take the pressure of breaking the news that D as he was is no more, she was now a different person and an alien. And then having to tell her daughter that there were billions of worlds out there, and despite everything she did to save this one, there were others with horrors like vampires she would never help. "He's gone on a mid life crisis adventure and doesn't wasn't you to go find him. He's left my to look after you for the time being, I'm his niece…D-D-D" She looked around, for inspiration she couldn't us D anymore, that would well and truly confuse her daughter. A few roman vases were propped up on top of the small coffee table Alexa had left her mug of tea on. The depicted a few gods and goddesses, D remembered Alexa's childhood favourite goddess, yes that's a thing she had, Diana. "-Diana." Diana trembled hoping her deception and strained explanation had worked.

Alexa grasped Diana's hand and sniffed, her palms were warm and sweaty but she didn't attempt draw them back from her grasp. Although the girl was a different age and gender she could see the family resemblance, she had the same compassion and warmth in her eyes as her beloved guardian. "Alexa as you know, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." Diana managed to squeak out.

Paul was not one to be kept waiting, he was used to the best of things, and being attended there and then, not being left alone by some mad alien. Who has a vampire hunter as a roommate!

Alexa pulled Diana behind her and reached for one of the weapons, a pirates cutlass, from the wall. "How are you not ash in the wind?" She shouted at the intruder, waiting for him to make a move. Instead Diana came out from behind her nowhere near as afraid as she should have been.
"You're a vampire?" Diana questioned, and questioned her rare prejudice, all these years she'd been wrong about them?
"Duh." Paul gestured to his mouth where distinct vampiric fangs protruded.
"But you helped me." She stepped forward some more, putting herself between the two supernatural teens. "Alexa this vampire saved D, and D asked me to teach him a few things." She spoke firmly to Alexa, turning to Paul she added "This is Alexa and I'll still show you everything if you don't try to harm anyone. Our safety is part of the deal now."
"So after all of that, I'm really not dreaming?" He slapped himself in the head, what was even going on? He had landed in England so happy yesterday, with everything right in the world. Now there were aliens and unkillable teenagers! It just didn't make sense. He just sat on the sofa with his head in his hands.
"Does that mean either of you are going to tell me where D is? Because that thing tried to kill me earlier." The hunter swung her sword wildly.
"I told you he's fine." "Well forgive me if I don't take your word for it, I have to go find my farther." She looked over the sulking vampire. "I'm giving you a pass for now but be gone when I return." She didn't wait for the newfound family member's acknowledgement, and sped out.