Liam's apartment was located within a ten-minute walk from the restaurant, which turned out to be good news – especially when Da'an's growing fatigue was becoming clearly visible in the lines of her face. Inhabiting a body that had for a long time lacked physical exercise and adequate nourishment had certain limitations, which the diplomat had obviously not considered before. Paying attention to the smallest details, Liam quickly noticed that her breathing was becoming laboured, and the fact that she was limping slightly did not make the situation any better. A thought that he should have called a taxi crossed his mind, but it would make little sense now that their destination was already visible across the street. Da'an leaned on his arm as he stopped to give her some time to regain her strength.
'We're almost there,' he said reassuringly.
Her fatigued, grey eyes looked up at him before she turned her gaze towards the sky. 'The Universe seems so distant from here,' she remarked quietly. 'It is comforting, in a way.'
Her Protector smiled as her took her by the arm. 'It is, and I can promise you that you will be able to marvel at it tomorrow. Now both of us need some rest.'
Da'an nodded silently and allowed her Protector to guide her towards a four-storey building with rugged, grey walls. She could not help gazing at the majestic icicles hanging from the drainpipe. Taelon buildings, the Embassy among them, were never touched by snow or ice; the buildings' internal heating system melted away whatever the cold, winter weather might wish to leave upon them; yet the human city was different. Nature would crawl upon it, leaving walls sprinkled with snow and window-panes crystallized with frost.
'Watch your step,' Liam warned, pointing at the threshold, as they walked inside. He heard Da'an take a deeper breath the moment she saw the stairway. 'Third floor. One step at a time and we'll get there,' he assured and stretched out his hand in her direction, but all she did was stare at it with growing discomfort. 'Come on,' he encouraged her. 'It's going to be easier with my help.'
Somewhat hesitantly, she reached for his hand. Human perception was indeed different, and the warmth of his skin did not feel as uncomfortable as it normally did in her Taelon form. Having concluded that there were no alternatives to her disposal, she began climbing the stairs, constantly followed by her Protector's watchful gaze.
Just as they had reached the third storey, however, one of the doors unexpectedly burst open, almost giving Liam a heart attack.
'Mr. Kincaid!' a middle-aged, oversized woman with foam curlers in her hair exclaimed jovially. 'Judging by your long absence, one might think you didn't live here anymore!'
Liam felt like he was going to explode. He honestly hated his nosy neighbour with all his heart, and should have expected she would be keeping her watch by the window to observe (and later gossip about) all the people who entered the building.
'What has happened to your face?' she slowly adjusted her glasses.
'A small accident not worth the attention, Mrs. Andrews,' the young hybrid started hastily searching for the keys in his pocket.
Seeing that he was reluctant to continue the topic, the woman turned her entire attention to the slim, blond-haired girl in a beige coat who was meekly standing behind her reticent neighbour. 'There, you've finally found yourself a girlfriend!' she yammered. 'How nice is that!'
Da'an tilted her head, and judging by the glint of curiosity in her eyes, Liam knew she was wondering about the purpose of the woman's foam curlers. Truth be told, she was staring at them like a cat at a laser-pointer.
'You like my haircut?' Mrs. Andrews turned to her, then lowered her voice a bit, eyeing Liam scrupulously. 'Mr. Kincaid is a very lonely man. You're actually the first guest visiting him and he's been living here for three years now!'
Da'an blinked at her, fascinated by the way the foam curlers swayed together with her hair.
'Me and Mrs. Johnson have been already wondering that perhaps… you know… that he may be one of those sociopaths.'
'Thank you, Mrs. Andrews,' Liam ironized as he quickly unlocked the door and pulled Da'an inside before she could verbally engage in the conversation. The door was shut behind them with a thud, but the intrusive woman's voice was still clearly audible as she continued her monologue in the corridor.
'Why don't you just die?' the man muttered against the door, quickly realizing that Da'an was staring at him with an awkward expression on her face. 'You heard nothing,' he said tightly before he took off his shoes and quickly began taking off hers.
'You can rest on the sofa for now,' he said as he led her into the living room. 'I'm going to die if I don't take a shower.'
Da'an watched him leave with growing curiosity, wondering for what purpose her Protector required an energy shower, but eventually abandoned her considerations with a shrug and turned all of her attention to her surroundings. Her fatigued gaze wandered the mostly empty shelves and unpainted walls of what seemed to be a rather depressing environment when set against the festively decorated city. Slowly, she seated herself on the black couch, noticing it was much more comfortable than her chair at the Embassy.
Liam passed by the living room with a blue towel in his hand and peeked inside, somewhat bothered by the thought that he had to leave the diplomat alone, even if it were just for a short while. 'Do you think you can stay unharmed for the next ten minutes?' he asked, scratching his head. 'I really need that shower.'
'Do what you require, Liam,' she answered. 'I am in no immediate danger.'
The hybrid hesitated. In a human form Da'an was a danger to herself twenty-four hours a day, and knowing her typically Taelon inquisitive nature, she was likely to get into trouble if he did not busy her with something interesting enough to capture her attention. He looked around, thinking.
'Hey,' a beam of resolve brightened his face. 'How about watching some news while I'm busy?' he said as he picked the remote control and turned the TV on, instantly switching it to the news channel.
Da'an blinked at him.
'I'm sure they're discussing some pretty interesting stuff,' he said with unconcealed pride at his ingenious idea, and – heaving placed the remote control back on the table – headed straight to the bathroom, whistling.
The Companion tilted her head, unsuccessfully trying to understand why all humans recommended this one particular channel. She had access to it from the Embassy, basically because Agent Sandoval had suggested it at the very beginning of her tenure on Earth. For some unknown to her reason he had also ensured it would remain the only channel available in her office, and as years passed by, she had grown curious about other possibilities she had not yet explored.
Or rather – which she had not yet been allowed to explore.
Hesitantly at first, she glanced at the remote control. Liam certainly would not mind if she used it. All in all, it was likely he had left it there for this very purpose, so with extreme caution, she lifted it and carefully pressed the button she knew her Protector had used before he left.
Liam walked into the shower cubicle, feeling his muscles relax as streams of warm water began to travel down his back. The individual who invented the shower should have definitely been awarded the Nobel Prize.
'God knows how much I needed this,' he said to himself as he inhaled the refreshing citrus scent of his shower gel. He closed his eyes with an expression of utter bliss, doing his best to forget that Da'an was just behind the wall, until a male voice reached his ears, and he froze.
«I saw what they're planning to do. They're like locusts!»
The hybrid arched an eyebrow. Locusts? Since when was the news channel showing documentaries about locusts?
«They're moving from planet to planet... their whole civilization. After they've consumed every natural resource, they move on... and we're next. Nuke them. Let's kill the bastards! »
Liam's eyes grew wide. That certainly did not sound like CNN, even less a documentary about locusts. Did Da'an actually… switch the channel? Without thinking much, the man hurriedly covered his most sensitive places with a towel and sprinted out of the bathroom, barely aware of the water dripping from his body.
«You know, this was supposed to be my weekend off, but noooo! You got me out here dragging your heavy ass through the burning desert!»
With wide open eyes Liam realized the TV screen was showing an American soldier dragging the corpse of a recently killed alien.
'What is this?' he asked, visibly ill-at-ease with that fact that Da'an was watching a sci-fi movie a Taelon dignitary should definitely NOT be familiar with.
With serenity typical of her species, Da'an observed her Protector's agitated behaviour. 'Independence Day,' she answered solemnly, eyeing Liam's dishevelled form. 'I believed it was a documentary about this year's celebrations, however I do not recollect…' she paused, noticing that Liam had quickly switched the channel back to CNN.
'That's not a documentary, Da'an, it's fiction,' the man explained fervently. 'Please, just watch the news.' This said he threw the Companion a warning look before trotting back to the bathroom.
'The other channels are far more interesting,' the diplomat remarked and before Liam entered the shower cubicle again, he could hear the voice of a different male actor.
«What if they kill us? You don't want to die a virgin!»
The young hybrid helplessly ran a hand across his face. What else could he possibly expect? Da'an never ever listened to instructions – she was more likely to watch the news channel if she had been explicitly told not to do it. Now she was watching a sci-fi drama showing an alien species trying to conquer Earth, and it was enough of a bad idea in itself to suggest such a thing to a Taelon.
With a heavy sigh he turned back and strode into the room, heading straight for the remote control. The look of irritation on Da'an's face said it all when he switched the channel back to CNN, but he was not willing to take the responsibility for Earth's destruction just because he was reckless enough to put the idea into some alien ambassador's head.
'The remote control is going to take a shower with me,' he announced as he left the room, taking the device with him.
A flash of alien energy rippled across the Companion's narrowed eyes. Clearly, the child of Ha'gel had miraculously acquired some of Zo'or's worst character traits and presently rivalled the Synod Leader in his attempts to exert full control over his surroundings. Were all humans so possessive of their place of habitation?
The only consolation was, she had been dealing with that kind of dreadful attitude for centuries now. It was nothing she would not be able to handle. With this in mind, she considered her options. The enormous alien ship which she had seen in its full glory on the other channel was a true masterpiece, and she was tempted to know more about the technology. The lack of a remote control was not a problem. In a human form her mental capabilities were limited, but changing the channel should not prove a difficult task. At least so she thought before she directed her mental energy towards the device and a thin wisp of smoke began to slither from within the housing of the television set. Her lips parted in confusion, but in a human form her mental reflexes were much slower. After an unsettling buzz of electric current, the screen went black.
That was quite… unexpected. She had not been aware that human technology was so fragile…
Liam would definitely not be pleased. Although her intentions had not been aimed to displease him, especially not during a festival so important to all humans, it did not seem like there was any option that would enable her to avoid confrontation.
Unless…
All of a sudden she recalled what her Protector had told her back in the fashion store. Humans found it imperative to dispose of the evidence. Perhaps if she did exactly that, the young hybrid would not be so displeased with her.
Even if she failed, it was worth a try.
Liam had just put shampoo on his head when he heard the doorbell ring, soon followed by a loud banging on the door.
'Open up, Kincaid, I know you're there!'
The hybrid instantly recognized the voice of his neighbour who lived downstairs. Peter Carter was a nice family-type guy who worked in the local paper factory, but the urgency in his voice did not look like he had popped in for a beer, Liam realized, cursing under his breath. This was a really bad timing for whatever Peter had to say, especially when he had to pay his entire attention to Da'an to prevent her from doing anything reckless. With a sigh, the man quickly wrapped himself in the towel and hurried to the door.
'Hi, Peter, I'm kind of busy – ' Liam began, only to be cut off in mid-sentence
'Is that your TV which has just dented the roof of my car?!'
Liam raised an eyebrow. What are you, drunk?!
'Mrs. Andrews said she had seen some blond girl push a TV screen out of your window, and – who-hoo – guess where it landed!'
'Da-,' Liam bit his tongue just in time. 'Diana!' he called at the top of his voice, feeling that the Taelon had just crossed the limit of his patience. The Companion must have taken the hint, and before long appeared in the hallway with a somewhat guilty expression on her face.
'Would you please explain to my neighbour why you pushed the TV through the window straight onto his car?'
Da'an's gaze travelled uneasily between her Protector's accusing and the stranger's clearly infuriated glare to finally rest on Liam's face. 'You instructed me to dispose of the evidence,' she said simply.
Liam was dumbstruck, and soon felt his neighbour's suspicious gaze upon him.
'What evidence?' Peter barked. 'What are you doing here?'
The young hybrid realized that if he did not want to end up in jail, the time to act was now. He quickly took a credit card from the pocket of his jacket and waved it in front of his neighbour's face. 'Can we just forget about the whole affair if I compensate for your loss?' he offered, failing to conceal the discomfort in his voice.
Peter one more time eyed him suspiciously before he reluctantly took the card. 'I will keep an eye on you… neighbour,' he hissed through his teeth.
As soon as the man turned back, Liam closed the door. He turned his reproachful gaze towards the Taelon diplomat, and the fury, which unfurled in his eyes through the shimmer of Kimera energy, made Da'an took a precautionary step back.
'Evidence!' the hybrid laughed darkly in a manner that truly scared her. 'I'm all ears now, what mischief are we brewing here, Da'an? If we end up in jail, I'd be thankful to know what kind of charges may be possibly brought against me!'
If he had not known better who she was, he would think the woman before him was truly bothered by his behaviour.
'Liam, it was not my intention to…' she began, but in the end let the sentence trail off, incomplete.
'Then what WAS you intention?!' her Protector demanded. 'Ever since you took a human form, you're ruining my life! Was that the plan all along?'
'No,' the floor under her feet suddenly seemed to have captivated her entire attention.
Liam pointed his finger at her. 'Your company has brought about the worst day of my life. You outcompeted all your rivals, which in itself is quite an achievement, considering the disaster my life used to be even without your help.'
She looked up at him sharply.
'So now it comes down to the same old tune, leaving me thinking that it could all be different if you hadn't ordered William Boone to hunt down my father!' he spat in fury. 'Merry Christmas!'
Seeing the expression of despair on her face, the man fell silent and took a deep breath, realizing the situation had clearly spiralled out of his control. It was far from what he intended to say, at least not that day, but Da'an had been testing his patience more than anything else lately. He shouldn't have agreed to that damn assignment. He should have known his resentment would sooner or later resurface. After all, three years of pretending it wasn't there could not actually erase the memory…
'I'm going to get dressed, and before you have another brilliant idea, at least TRY to start using that superior mind of yours,' he added coldly, not sure what else to say, before the bathroom door was closed with a thud.
Overcome by sadness, grief and shame, Da'an felt herself tremble. As a Taelon she had been infused with human emotions before – love and fear – but the emotional turmoil wrecking her human form was beyond anything she had experienced as a Taelon for several thousand years. Without the chance to seek mental comfort in the Commonality, she felt the unwanted emotions overflow her carefully learned serenity, her heart ramming against her chest and bordering on actual physical pain. Able neither to understand nor to stop the storm which her Protector's words had unfurled within her body and mind, she succumbed to the urge of fleeing as far as her feet would take her. Having stormed past the door, she sprinted down the stairs which led straight into the wintery night of the human world.
