(for those who didn't get the last part of my AN at the end of the chapter, it was Weds night and i forgot to upload a new chapter, i was so ashamed. XD)

Ya know what I like about authors notes? The fact that I can rant to my hearts content. I don't get to do this anywhere else, it sucks. XD

Anyway, this is my last week of freedom! Monday I dine in hel-high school. Jeepers, how nerve wrenching! XD

I'll live…I think. I just really wanna get my other story out, I've waited so long that time flew by and now I might have to wait until I'm settled in school to launch it, humphels…

Ah, tragedies. Sophie's not making it any better, speaking of the little ditz and her manly companion, enough with ranting, onward with the plot!

Helping out.

Krone roared and slammed the wrench he was using down on the floor. Something inside his ship's cockpit wasn't working like he wanted it to.

I winced as he swore in Yautja.

It was one of those days where I felt kinda sorry for him. Sure, he was a boiling pot of rage but, as I've said before, who doesn't get angry when things don't go there way?

Defeated, Krone sat on the floor, growling and glaring at one of the monitors within the cockpit that just wouldn't display anything.

Maybe I should do something to lighten the mood.

I peered over my art pad which (on instinct) I had hid behind of. "Um…Krone?"

His head twitched, he must've forgotten I was in the room.

I hope he doesn't think he scared me, I didn't want him to feel bad for something he didn't do!

"I, uh…" how do I make a Yautja feel better? "I dissected a frog today."

There was silence for a moment. Krone slowly turned his head toward me and I gave him one of my famous Sophie smiles that are only reserved for him.

"You did?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you all about it," having created a perfect opening, I got up.

Personally, I have nothing against frogs, in fact I find it completely inhumane that teenagers are forced to cut them open and poke at there organs. I mean, poor frogs! How would we like it if some so called "more intelligent" species decided they'd just harvest us just so they could give us to grossed-out teenagers after we died? How messed up is that!

I even told my teacher that I just couldn't cut the poor lil fella open. There I was knife in hand with the dead Mr. Frogy, I just couldn't bring myself up to it, I nearly cried! And you know what Mrs. Burgspry did? She took the knife and cut him herself!

Right in front of me! His slimy frog blood seeped everywhere and I could see his poor little none beating heart.

I threw up…

Right on Mr. Frogy…

Bright side is, Mrs. Burgspry still gave me an A as an apology for making me loss everything I ate in a week.

After I finished my story Krone started to laugh.

"It's not funny!" I said, "She threw him in the trash! I couldn't even bury him!"

Krone composed himself, happy that he was in a good mood again, I smiled.

"Feel better?"

He nodded.

"Great."

I looked toward his ship. Sure as hell was a lot of work to do for one person…and Krone works overtime enough as it is.

"Do you want me to help you out?"

He looked surprised.

I shrugged, "Why not?"

"It didn't work out so well last time…"

"Well, second time's the charm," I said, "You just promise to be less bossy, and I promise to be faster."

"Less bossy?"

I rolled my eyes, "Just promise!"

He still looked skeptical.

"It'll be less tiresome for you if we share the work," I gave him a slight nudge.

It was the start of a sore back and an aching neck.

000

"How did you crash anyway, Krone?"

I found talking was a welcome distraction from the impending doom that was above me. Krone used some sort of anchor or whatever to lift his ship and hang it from the ceiling. He said it wouldn't fall, but hell, a ship was hanging by nothing but a metal rope right above me for Christ's sake!

"Wrench."

I handed him the wrench.

"I was a bit careless with maintenance…" he clicked flatly, "before I knew it I was fighting to get out of your planets atmosphere and I crashed…"

"A bit careless?" more like he probably completely ignored it.

"I'm working on it now, aren't I?"

"After you crashed it…"

"I thought I told you to work on those loose wires…"

"But my neck hurts!"

"Do it."

"Fine…"

000

"What about you're parents?" I asked, the ship is thankfully again on the ground. I was sitting on one of the engines, we're working on the power thrusters or something, "What are they like?"

"My father died years ago," I was a little surprised that he still looked so focused on replacing the hard drive chips, "it was an…honorable death. As for my mother, I haven't seen her in ages."

"Don't you miss her?"

He shrugged, "I know she is well, that's enough for me."

"Okay."

"Pass me the power drill."

"Got it."

000

"Hey Krone?"

"Yes? Hold this for me…"

He handed me a power coupling. Damn it was heavy…

"So…um…" I rested the white tube on my lap, "do you…have any brothers or something?"

He glanced at me before returning to his work. "Seven."

Wow, really? "Wow, really?"

"Yes…"

"Oh…"

As if he read my mind he also said, "I've seen them even less than my mother, we have different fathers and to be honest I don't remember their names."

I handed him the power couplet before he could ask me to, I think my reflexes are getting better.

"You're getting better at this."

"Thanks," I smiled triumphantly, "I hope I'm not prying or anything by the way…"

"No it's fine," he clicked, "it stresses me less."

"Glad I can help."

He smiled.

"And what of you're family, Sophie?"

"My family?" I have to stop getting put off guard by his questions, I mean I ask him so many, "Um…well, my mom's a multitasking superhero, she could be filing paperwork, talking to someone on the phone, and yelling at me and Josh so we can stop yelling at each other. But she's really smart and has this Amazon beauty to her.

"Dad is like her polar opposite, he's quiet, reserved, and he can't make a waffle if he' brewing coffee. And…well…you already know about Josh."

"I see…" He finished reconnecting the power coupling, "Are you fond of them? Your parents."

"Uh, yeah, I mean, they're okay," I mumbled in a few last words, "when they're not mad at me…"

"Sometimes I wonder what it must be like…"

"What what would be like?"

He shook his head dismissively.

I frowned.

000

"So how's it like being an 'Honored Blood'?"

He shrugged.

"Aw, c'mon, tell me!"

"I receive attention when it's due, and many young bloods look to me for guidance, you could say I'm somewhat of a role model to them."

"So you're famous?"

"Respected."

"Right."

000

"Ugh! This is hard!" I whined and looked toward Krone who was messing around with the monitors, "Why aren't you doing this?"

"Can you read Yautja?"

"…Touché…"

000

"Whew," I flumped down unto the floor.

"You did well."

"Thanks," I said while I wiped my forehead, I looked up to the ceiling, "We sure did a lot…"

"You were a great help, Sophie."

"Yeah, well, you offered up a lot of guidance."

I sighed happily, I noticed that my art pad was neglected on the floor. I picked it up, my oiled fingers smudging it.

A good drawing break was in order.

000

And…there!

I smiled and held up my latest creation.

Perfect.

"Can I see?"

Krone was sitting opposite of me, I had almost forgotten he was there.

"I…uh…" he'd never asked to look at any of my picture before…

But then, I've already shown him a couple anyway.

"Yeah."

I handed my art pad over to him. Krone stared at it for a long time. I waited patiently for his verdict.

"It's good."

"Thanks…"

He handed it back to me. I scanned the picture myself, 'another portrait of the stars' as my art teacher had pointed out not so long ago…

A lot of times I'd open my room window and look up at the bright diamonds above and wonder about all sorts of things.

I had not once stopped thinking about the Yautja or Zales, and I've never stopped being mystified by the night sky.

I never stopped, not once, but thinking never made my life any better. In fact, I just kept being disappointed at everything around me. I had no friends, I barely had a life, my brother hurt me, my parents were good but almost unreachable. I became another isolated teenager of society.

And then…Krone came along.

"Do you want me to draw you?"

Krone looked surprised yet…happy.

"Do you want to?"

"Yeah," I nodded and flipped to a blank page, "You don't mind right?"

He shook his head, "Go on."

I quickly got started.

Every line, each curve, the shading, everything felt like it had magically sprung from my hand. It almost felt like I wasn't the one drawing. Every time I pressed my pencil I knew when and what to do. I didn't worry about whether or not a certain line was to thick, or whether it looked real enough. I just drew. On a whim, guided by an invisible force that I didn't know of but trusted.

I stopped.

I stared at the portrait in front of me, taking in every detail.

"You like it."

My head snapped up, I must have been really out of it because I was almost startled by Krone's voice.

"Excuse me?" I asked, referring to his earlier comment.

"You have that look in your face. When you like something you drew"

"I have a look?"

He nodded.

Squirming a bit, feeling suddenly self conscience I glanced down at the pad, "It's not an ugly look is it?"

I saw Krone smile, he lifted my chin with his talons, "That would be impossible, Sophie."

My face blushed.

Apparently oblivious to my shocked(and, admittedly, flustered)expression, Krone motioned down at the pad still resting on my lap.

"My I see it?"

I blinked several times coming out of my daze, "Uh…y-yeah, sure, go ahead," I handed him the pad immediately.

Krone stared at it for a long time, his face blank and unreadable.

Nervously, I hugged my knees, waiting for his verdict. I never felt so anxious in my life, I was just wishing that he'd like it. Krone's approval seemed to be as important as an A would mean to an honors student, only multiplied by ten…thousand.

I gulped as I continued to wait.

But he was taking so long! What if he doesn't like it? ohmygod. He doesn't like it. What if he's thinking of a way to tell it to me nicely? What if he isn't? what if he'll just flat out say he hates it? Yautja are straight up no nonsense! Oh, man, why did I offer to draw him? I can't take this! What if…! What if-

"Um…d-do you…l-like…it?" I sound pathetic…

Krone's head snapped up, I nearly winced, expecting his severe criticism.

"It's perfect."

I managed to stop my jaw from dropping to the floor, "Really?"

He chuckled and lifted my chin again, "Yes, and stop looking like you're waiting for impending doom."

"ehehe…" I scratched the back of my head, "sorry…"

Krone smiled and we both took a short break of silence(this silence not threatening to break my nerve).

"So what are we gonna do now?" I asked, pensively looking at the roof.

"I'm sure it's late for you Sophie," he clicked, "you should go to bed, I can take care of things."

"You sure?"

He nodded.

He was probably right, florescent lights don't really tell me if it's four o'clock at night, but maybe it's just twelve? I shook my head, doesn't matter, I'm beat.

Getting up, I suddenly had it in my head to give Krone a goodnight hug, which I did. Wrapping my arms around his thick neck, I gave him a tight squeeze.

"Night, Krone."

He stroked the back of my head. As I pulled away Krone suddenly took hold of my wrist.

"Sophie…"

"Yeah?"

He seemed to be debating something, it looked like he wanted to tell me something important but then he shook his head.

Letting go of my wrist he simply said, "Dream well."

I nodded and began to step out of the garage. Maybe I was just thinking to hard, or sleep has finally gotten the better of me.

When I got to my room, I discovered that it was 1:00 AM. I was in the garage helping Krone for a good ten hours…

I sighed.

I am not gonna be happy when I get up…

Still, I couldn't help but feel just a little accomplished. I did help an intellectually superior being fix a high tech alien spacecraft. Well…not completely fix, but helped with repairs none the less.

This thought brought me to a not so pleasant one. Krone, spaceship, and outer space, put them together and the product isn't a happy puppy.

I frowned and sat down on my bed.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to help him out…

I shook my head of such thoughts. I already went through this! Besides, if I look at this in a positive way, I got to bond with Krone more. I didn't just watch him, I was really getting into his world and(I can't deny it)I enjoyed myself. And on top of that, Krone said I was a big help to him. He appreciated me. That in itself seemed to make my heart flutter just a bit.

I pondered about the heart fluttering part. I began to think about why I blushed the last few times. Krone said he liked my drawings…he complemented me…not only that but he's just about the only person to ever call me 'pretty'. In a technical way, but he still did. That too seemed to make me want to hop, skip and jump. Nah…maybe it's just a happy-friend feeling. Yeah, that seems about right. The point is that this was a good thing, that I helped Krone out, and that I feel closer to him.

Yes, this made me closer to Krone, so that in mind I went to bed.

That night I dreamt about stars.

000

As i couldn't go into specifics on how Sophie was helping Krone out(teenage mind..can't even fix a car let alone write about doin repairs on a spaceship...)so instead of that, i put dialougue! let's assume they had a little set up reminesent of American Chopper, m'kay? m'kay.

Edgad! I really gotta get to finishing that (classified information) so I can (classified information) and (classified information)! Darn you for being so dramatic Sophie! Darn YOU!

Okay so I still have to (classified information) and finish the (classified information) I might be (classified information) if I don't, and after that I have to work my butt of to speed through the (classified information) because then at least I have two other (classified information) leaving me with the stress of finishing the (classified information) and the whole (classified information)! ARGH!

Wait, you're still reading this? XD

Well at least you don't know what I'm talkin bout, kudos to Mikuru Asahina-san!(I'm such a dork…)

Forgive me for wasting your time and making you feel freaked out! As compensation, all reviewers get their own stars! I'll buy them and name them after you! Yeah! Sure! Why not! Never mind I don't have any money! =D

XD review, loves!