Chapter twelve: If only but a moment.

(Shane's pov)

As Ghardeh and Shane make their way to the house Danny is humming on the feed leant into Nina. He is humming a track from Destiny 2 called pathfinder as he watches the trees flash past in Shanes view the beautiful orange of the sunset gives off a mellow orange glow across the trees and water. His view bobbing every now and then and lands with a weighty thud as he jumps from a rock or over a root.. They see gators retreat into the water in the couples wake. His breathing silent.. His arms just barely come into view as he torpedoes onward. He is sprinting alongside Ghardeh. On his hud there is a golden rune to the right corner where his rocket count is and 3 tabs with his current weapons. It shimmers every so often with the pulsing flow of the red hud.. Shane boosts into the air above the trees.. Then they see it.. Even the twins lean in..

"The.. House.. It still.." Danny says..

Shane's view shudders as he lands on the ground kicking up dust.. Nina sees the bronco where she'd left it.. Though now it's a black husk of its former self. The vehicle destroyed.. Shane sees several shimmers on the ground and a separate rotating symbol shows up on the left in orange.. Shane taps several buttons when suddenly the language changes to English…

Memory Fragment Detected.. Decoding.. Done.. Initialize..

Shane walks up to the one near the front door.. He reaches down and touches it. His view shifts..

"Nina wait-"

"Stay behind me Danny!"

Shanes view flicked to the shotgun on the shelf above the tv. Osh'ikeille saw this and growled. He took a step and almost buckled. Shane feels his arm move as he shoved Danny back into the kitchen without taking his eyes off of Osh'ikeille. Danny yelped and he glanced back at him just for a brief second taking his eyes off of Osh in the living room. The world spun suddenly as Shane was sent sailing. His back hit the table and it toppled over with a loud clatter and papers went flying.

"No don't hurt her! She's my sister!"

Shane saw Osh'ikeille look from Danny to him or rather Nina..

"Get away from my brother!" Nina roars. Shane's view slides towards a frying pan he ducks as Osh swipes and without hesitation smashes the frying pan into his helmet. The memory fizzles out and Shane looks around..

"Shit Neens.. That was weird.."

"I remember that.." She says with a smile Osh'ikeille hums a laugh as she nudges him.

"Can i keep him sis?" Danny says in the same tone..

He moves towards the stairs.. Then sees another one.. There are several here.. The whole house is blackened and beyond repair the smell of burnt wood and rotting wood, still after so long stings the air… He walks up to the next memory fragment.. It begins to decode..

He is bent into the fridge..

"Yes come on! Come on! I've got squirt guns!" His view shifts to Danny ramming Osh'ikeille's legs.

"Danny let Pakkun go first!" Shane snaps back once more..

Danny laughs.. "No girls allowed Neens get out!" He repeats.

Shane heads to the next one in the front room.. As it decodes Shane is in the kitchen doorway.

"Blue eyes white dragon! Come on Pakkun please?"

Shane watches as Osh sits down and a loud farting sound erupts.. Shane sees Uzkielle rip out his combi stick and crouched in an offensive position growling in warning. Nina and Shane bursts out laughing and sees Osh crouched beside Danny with the whoopee cushion..

"Oh my god Danny! That… Was epic! It's ok Uzkielle.. There's no danger.. There's no danger Osh'ikeille.."

"Unless that came from Baymax's backend!" Danny guffawed..

"Or yours!" Nina says trying to collect herself.

Osh scrutinises the object in his hand. "It's a toy.."

"Don't mess with blue eyes white dragon!"

Osh tears the offending object with a huffy growl..

"Pakkun.."

Shane snaps back heaving with a laugh..

"Hahaha i remember when Osh sat on it the whole floor vibrated ahahaha!"

Danny laughs over the comms.. As does Nina.. "Osh's body language said it all!"

Shane walks outside and sees another one in the shed.. The car there destroyed blackened and fallen from its stands.

"The old BMW.." Nina says.

Shane touches the next fragment.. He is snapped to that moment. Shane is eye level with Uzkielle who is in a crouched tense position snarling at him. Shane has a wrench in his hand barely visible to the side of his view Nina shouts "Pakkun!" When Uzkielle smashes her to the floor.. Shane sees the wrist blades inches from his view "Lobomon!" Shane hears Danny shout.

"Lobomon that's my sis-" Osh'ikeille grabs Shane and pulls him back after shoving Uzkielle back with a punch. Danny storms up to Uzkielle with zero fear and stomps a foot down.

"She's my sister Lobomon! You can't hurt her even if she's being a mononoke!"

"What the fuck is going on?!" Nina shouts.

"Jeez Nina drama queen much?"

"He tried to eat me!"

Shane comes to again..

"That was the first impression Uz?" Shane asks.. "You impressed!"

Nina frowns "Jee thanks Shane, that was worse than Osh's first day and you egg him on?"

"He's my favourite." Uzkielle shakes his head slowly with an amused rumble. Shane re-enters the house, "Where did you hide Lucy Danny..?" He leans Into the comms screen "My room in a box under the bed.. It's a metal one." Shane reaches the next floor. His foot goes through a blackened floorboard when he sees another fragment where a door leans on a diagonal slant half open.. It's the bathroom. He goes to touch it but Nina stops him. "Wait Shane. That could be one of two memories.. I'm not sure you want to go through with one of them.." Osh'ikeille lets out a rumbled laugh as his brother shoves him lightly with a bark. They see his hand clench..

"To be or not to be.." Osh says..

"Osh'ikeille!" Nina shouts slapping his forearm.

"Fuck it.." Shane touches it..

"I warned you Shane.". Nina says putting a hand to her eyes..

Shane is downstairs listening to I am machine. Nina sighs a breath of relief.. When he hears a roar which vibrates the walls.. Nina makes Shane press the pause. Then hears Danny shout.. "Stay still Pakkun! I'll wash it out, no! Don't grab that!"

As Nina controls Shane towards the stairs her view hobbles as if wounded. There is a sound of tearing fabric and plinging of the shower curtain Nina throws open the door, Nina sees Shanes clawed hand throw it open she has a hand over her face on the feed as she goes red in the cheeks.

"Pakkun hold still!" Danny says in a commanding tone.

"Nina! No girls allowed GET OUT!"

"What's with all the racket?" Nina says looking over Osh.

"Pakkun doesn't like soap, the suds got in his eyes.. Now get out!"

Shane's view shakes left and right as he shakes his head.

"Breakfast in ten! Make sure to wipe the water on the floor… Shane calmly shuts the door behind him. The memory jolts forward with Shane sat at the table with Danny in front of him and Osh to the left. Nina makes Shanes hand reach for bacon. "It's ok.. Try it it's good." She says.

"Especially with syrup." Danny says..

Danny has smothered French toast with a mountain of syrup, there is a loud gurgle coming from Osh. Shane laughs quietly.

"Nina more please."

"Piggy."

Danny shrugs "You're the one always whining about getting fat not me.."

"Must be nice to be a string bean with the metabolism of a hummingbird.."

He grins "If you want I'll take your share and help you out."

"I'm not fat!"

"Then why do you complain about it all the time?" Danny asks with a questioning brow.

"Because I'm a girl!"

"Why do girls whine about problems they don't have?"

"Again, because I'm a gi-" Shane sees Osh pick up an egg while the two argue and examines it. Before shoving the whole thing in his mouth making a loud crunching interrupting the argument.. Nina turns Shanes view to Osh who ignores them picks up another egg and eats it whole once again shell and all.. A black serpentine tongue flicks out and licks his tusks clean.. "Coool!" Danny says.

Shane snaps back.. Still at the bathroom entrance. There is another glimmer there..

"I take it that one is the.. Inadvisable one eh Neens?"

"Idjit you are lucky it was that one! Criminy.."

Shane enters Danny's room his bed is blackened and flipped on its side. He sees a black metal box.. "That's the one Shane.." Shane opens the box and Danny gasps the cream white skull perfectly preserved.. Shane takes it gently..

"Lucy."

"Danny you got some splanin to do!" Nina says ruffling his hair.

"Splan it Danny!" Shane says holding it up. Danny laughs as does Nina.. Even Osh laughs slightly.. Ghardeh takes it from Shane.. He walks back downstairs and sees another glimmer in the kitchen.. What's left of it.. His clawed armoured hand reaches down.. The memory decodes..

Shane is sat on something.. It jerks and wobbles under him.. Osh was extremely close..

"Nina!"

"In the kitchen soot sprite.." Nina says. Shane finds it strange how he IS Nina. And she is controlling him in the memory. Shane saw Danny slide across the floor filthy.. Muddy.. Shane jumps off the what he now sees is the washing machine.. It looks oddly misshapen.

"What did you do?! Danny why on earth does it look like you wrestled the swamp thing?" Shane moves around the island in the kitchen to meet Danny. Even Baymax came in coated in swamp goo..

"We went gator hunting."

"YOU. DID. WHAT?!"

"You should have seen it Neens! I dove on top of the gators back but then i got thrown into the gunk and then Baymax jumped in after me! Then Lobomon broke its jaw with one punch and snapped its spine! Nina? Nina, are you listening to me?!"

"What?" Nina asks.. Locking onto her little brother. Shane looks she mustn't have been listening and was locked on Uzkielle.. Who was scenting the air.. Shane smiles.. The twins are so different here.. Here they seem like the typical yautja..

"We brought home dinner" Danny points. Shane noticed Uz had a gator over his shoulders.

"Dinner?"

Shane feels his hands clench.

"You took my baby brother into the swamp to hunt gators?! That's fucking dangerous! What if he'd-"

"I'm fine Nina.."

"-gotten hurt!"

Uz shoves his way past Shane.

"Fuck! Wait Uzkielle!" Nina made a grab for Uzkielles hip, He tenses up and turns around.

"On the table.."

Shane snaps back once again..

"Jesus you two acted so differently back then.. It shows just how far you both have come.." Shane says. They both nod.. "Indeed." Uz says.. He moves on.. And finds another.. Outside.. In between the house and shed. As Shane touches it he is snapped back to the house. He has the xenomorph skull in his hands.

"Here go up stairs and hide. Do not come down here for anyone except for me, or one of the brothers."

"But Nina hunters don't run!"

"For once in your life Danny, do not argue with me!" Shane walks outside as Nina controls his actions once again. Shane sees a black suv with Baymax growling and snarling Shane puts a hand on his head.

"Easy boy."

A man exits the suv driver side door.

"Nina I think it would be best if you put your dog in the house."

"How about you just don't move real fast." Nina says.

Uz leaves the feed with a growl..

"Nina do not fight this." The man says.

"Last i heard the judge denied your warrant, you have no right to be here." Nina says seething.

"Bare in mind Nina this is on you." he open the passenger side door. And a woman exits out..

"Mom.. What did he promise you?" Nina asks angrily..

"Oh Nina.. You always did enjoy turning the smallest things into a ridiculous fight.. It's no big deal, Nina. Mr Stevens just wants to search the property."

"And i said no.."

"Dear sweet Nina, I still own this crap piece of land. My name is the one on the deed. So here's what's going to happen. Mr Stevens is going to be permitted to search for his space rock or whatever," she said with a flippant wave of her hand. "Then we'll be gone, and you can go back to playing house."

The memory jolts forward..

"Danny.." Their so called mother says..

"Get behind me.."Nina warns softly.

"He looks just like… Dean.. I want to see my son.." She spouts.

"Danny was never your son! Danny is mine!" Ninas shouts.

"Oh, this is rich. You think you're his mother?" She says with a bitter laughter

"I'm more his mother than you'll ever be." Nina says as Shane embraces Danny. Suddenly Shane hears.. And feels.. Gunshots.. Vibrations rip through him. He looks down and sees gunshot wounds to his right arm and chest.. He falls onto his back gasping for air as he sees Danny scream and cry over him.. Osh and Uz de-cloak… with feral roars. The memory snaps Shane back.. He is on his back with Ghardeh over him.. "Shane.. Are you alright..?" He gets up. He backs away from the fragment breathing heavily.

"Nina… I…" He sees her with tears in her eyes. "Yeah.. That's when everything changed.. Because of one bitter disgusting person.. Now you know.. You felt it.. Fragments of my memories there.."

Shane is overcome with sadness.. He unfolds his helmet and crouches down.. He lets out a shaking breath as he looks at the ruins of the house. "Shane?" Ghardeh puts her hands on his shoulders.. He sniffs he brings his helmet back up to see both Danny and Nina wiping tears away..

"One hell of a life.." Nina says.

"We are coming home.." Shane says. They see Ghardehs feed as he looks back at Ghardeh then clenches his fists looks forward then make their way back to the Scorpion. On their way back Danny is singing. "I will survive." Making Shane smile.

With Nina talking to Uz in the background. They finally make it back to the Scorpion.

"Right. We will see you in about a week or so.. See you then, we will keep in contact."

"Shane.. Thank you for doing that.. I know you felt like you were really there but that's what i was going for.. Now i hope you understand where our roots come from.. Some of our best memories with these two.. If only but a moment."

"I do.. More than you know Neens.. Thank you for showing me a beautiful part of the world.. One i hope we revisit."

She nods.. "One day perhaps.."

Author note: This chapter felt very nostalgic to write, Werewolfbleu introduced us to Nina, Danny and the twins and it was an unforgettable journey. One to which I'm glad i read. I may have expanded on Ninas universe but i will never claim the characters as my own. They are werewolfbleus characters. There is one story which is for werewolfbleus eyes only to which i created a 'what if' scenario. It is also the story where Ghardeh was first created. I know it will seem confusing as to how Nina and co know Ghardeh but all I'll say is Ghardeh helps the quadro when they needed the help and stayed on their ship for 7 months. To which their friendship bloomed into family. Which is when Ghardeh: Black Angel begins. I may well upload that story.. I don't know. Anyway.. I hope you enjoyed the read back to memory lane.. Stay awesome people.

No yautja words in this chapter!

Pakkun- Osh'ikeille's name Danny gave him.

Lobomon- Uzkielle's name Danny gave him.

Memories of Nina are from excerpts of Can i keep him? By Werewolfbleu. (My besty!)