Chapter 10

Her feet devour the miles as flee races away wildly, not caring who sees her.

Dad?

What?

He was her Dad?

It was too much too soon. Her mother had always said her father's people were bloodthirsty monster who devoured and destroyed whatever they wanted to and felt no regret. They killed without caring, without feeling. Entire villages were swallowed by their greedy hands and they strived for more blood.

More death.

But…

John wasn't like that. He was her friend. She could spill water on him and he'd chase her down and get even—it was game. A fun game. He never tried to hurt her. If she was scared at night, she could go snuggle next to him and he would not mind. They shared food and laughs and he was teaching her to write in his language and recognize his numbers to be able to count. John wasn't bad: he was nice. Weird, yes, but he was cool in his own strangle little way.

But he couldn't be her Dad—that be too weird.

So, she runs and allows her mind to roam freely. It skips through the hills and climbs nimbly up the trees. It wanders over the uneven ground and combs its invisible fingers through the grass and pricks its fingers on sharp thorns.

After a few moments more, Little Wolf darts high into the arms of an awaiting tree and relaxes against its bumpy trunk. John was her Dad? No, her Mom was mistaken—she had to be. There was no way John was evil like his people. John was just John—that was it. He was her friend, not her Dad.

…

It doesn't take long for her to notice the loud, calculated footfalls following patiently after her. Little Wolf smirks and pushes herself closer into the tree. She'd know those footsteps anywhere: it was John. Well, he was about to get the shock of a lifetime. Hopefully, he didn't throw her back into the river. She shuddered inwardly. That would not end well at all the last time. He pauses at the base of her tree and looks up. Icy blue eyes burn in the moonlight.

"I know you're up there." He purrs.

"Then catch me." She says just as she jumps.

His hands spring upwards and catch her easily under the armpits. She giggles as he lowers her down so that their faces are parallel to one another. His eyes sweep up and down, memorizing every little detail before hugging her close.

"Do you have a death wish?" His voice rumbles quietly. "Jumping out of trees is hardly a wise idea."

"I knew you'd catch me."

"You're too trusting." He complains.

"You're too tall," She counters evenly and his chest rumbles as he chuckles.

"Am I now?" He stretches his arms out to hold her away from him so he can see the smile lighting up her face.

"Uh huh." She says. He then traps her against his chest with one arm and tickles her with the other. She squeals and tries to pull away but Khan only tickles her harder.

"Am I still too tall? Am I?" He laughs as he continues to tickle her lightly.

"No!" She giggles as she tries-and fails-to wiggle away from him. "You win! You win!"

Chuckling, he puts her gently on the ground and she smirks up at him: "How do you feel?" He asks.

"Fine." She yawns widely.

"Getting tired are we?"

"No!" She shakes her head and another yawn takes control.

Smirking, Khan picks her up and holds her to him while he carries her back to camp. When they arrive, he lays her down beside her sleeping mother and cover them both with a quilt from his bag. For a while, he watches them while they sleep as though to reassure himself that they won't vanish every time his eyes closed.

A father. Him. Who would have thought?

It had been a sick experiment created by Sector 31. They wanted more Augments and began to bring in human women, thinking that the two different species would be able to breed and produce viable offspring. Countless women were put into his chambers only to be taken away the next day. He hadn't cared for a single one of them…but…Silver Moon was different.

There was something in her eyes—her small, hesitant smile. They had talked. They had laughed. She out of all the rest had been returned to him again and again. She was the only source of light in his dark and bleak war before he was able to escape his prison. What he didn't know at the time was that all the women he had been with had perished because of the children they carried within them. Their frail bodies just couldn't handle it. When he found out, he was frantic. Had the same fate befallen Silver Moon? Try as he might…he couldn't find her. He had assumed that she had died along with the others and their child with her.

But here they were. Real. Alive. Breathing.

He was a father.

"If you keep smiling like a fool, your face will get stuck that way forever, you know," Sharp Quill informs him. Khan scowls at her and she smirks. "I just thought I'd let you know." With a wink, she snuggles further down into the warmth of her quilts before falling asleep.

He rolls his eyes. The cantankerous old woman was irritating, but she was starting to grow on him a little. He'd let that comment slide. After all, she knows not of whom she speaks to and he'd rather leave it that way for as long as possible.

And as for Silver Moon...So, long as he wasn't a threat to Little Wolf or their other child, Silver Moon wouldn't do anything to bring him harm.

Blackness consumes him. His breathing deepens and evens as he begins to snore. Moments later he's jerked awake as something is applied over his mouth. Blinking, he watches as Little Wolf crawls back over to Silver Moon and cuddles into her side, a roll of duct tape in her hand. Khan exhales loudly through his nose. Why did their kid have to be such a light sleeper?

And where does she keep getting all of this tape?!

…

The next morning, he wakes before the others and takes special care to dump a water bottle on Little Wolf's head before hunting out berries and nuts for their breakfast. Little Wolf throws a pinecone at his head irritably.

"Not so funny when it's you who is awoken now is it?" Khan raises an eyebrow at her.

"Ah, go jump in the river!" She grumbles before pulling the quilt up over her head and curling into a ball.

Once, breakfast has been gathered, he yanks her blanket away easily and rouses the others. Little Wolf glares at him and stomps her feet as she nears him.

"Meanie!"

"What did I do?" He feigns innocence and she kicks him in the leg.

'Little Wolf! You better apologize right now!' Silver Moon snaps.

'But, Mom!'

'You better listen to your mother, young lady!' Sharp Quill cuts in.

"Fine. Soooorry, John." She growls before stomping away from him and climbing a tree.

She pouts from the highest branches and ignores the others while they chat and eat. Khan watches her nervously while he eats. What if she fell down? She could be seriously injured! It was like the girl was trying to kill herself! And how could someone who shared his genetic material—superior DNA—be so frail? It was baffling.

"Well, the hamster is certainly running inside that mind of yours. So, tell me, has it reached any conclusions yet?" Silver Moon inquires while Khan holds Beaver and continues to watch Little Wolf carefully.

"No. Nothing yet." He sighs. "Do you want this?" He holds the gurgling baby out to her and she raises an eyebrow at him.

"Nah, I have enough of them, thanks." She smirks at him and he rolls his eyes.

Beaver proceeds to try to pull out Khan's hair. Khan extends his arms away from him to get the baby away from his sensitive scalp, but baby wails and flails his limbs around pathetically. Sighing, Khan brings him back to his chest and endures iy as the child once more pulls on his hair.

"Perhaps I'll reconsider." Silver Moon laughs as pulls the child from him and coos at it. Beaver giggles happily. "Better, love?"

"Much."

…

"So…how did you guys meet?" Little Wolf asks as she balances across a fallen log while they cross the river. It was only knee deep for Khan but he still flanks Little Wolf none the less. He was not keen for a repeat of the near drowning-in-the-river episode. Fawn holds on tightly to his neck and Hawk balances on the log behind Little Wolf.

"We met on Earth." Silver Moon says vaguely as she carries Beaver across.

"Where?"

"Work." She and Khan make eye contact and shrug.

"Where you in love?"

This time it is Khan who answers: "We were."

"So," She wobbles unsteadily for a minute before walking onwards. "What happens now?"

"What do you mean?" Silver Wolf asks.

"well, you're a mommy and John is a daddy. So…does that make us a big, happy family for ever and ever? Are we still going to Riverweed so John can get home or is this his home now?" She asks.

"I still have to leave." Khan says. "My family needs me."

"Do you have other kids, too?" Little Wolf asks as she hops safely onto the mushy bank.

"No. I don't. Just you."

"And my brother, Fox." Little Wolf corrects.

"Yes. Fox, too." Khan admits.

"Will you miss us?"

"I will." More than you know, he admits inwardly. "How far away is Riverweed now?"

"A few hours. I can take you to the ships if I'm extra, super careful, but I'm not allowed to talk. They don't like it when I talk—I get in trouble."

"Why?"

"Because of my nickname and the stupid Buzzard Man."

Marcus.

Khan's blood boils.

"Nickname?" He asks. Outwardly, he looks nonchalant and relaxed but inwardly his rage burns white-hot.

" 'The Revolutionary'. That's why he wants us all dead. I went from city to city after he burned down our village to warn the others about the Invaders...he didn't like it. He was going to kill all of us because of the things I was saying but the King talked him out of it. He said it was my words that were bad so, that was what they banned. If I talk in public, I get in trouble. Lots of trouble."

"What happened the last time you spoke in public?" He looks down at the girl and she shrugs.

"I don't want to talk it. I don't never want to talk about it."

…

That night:

"Shh!" Little Wolf whispers to Zevi. "Stay quiet and guard the camp." Khan wakes up. "I'll be back soon. Stay."

She runs silently into the trees and races towards the nearby city.

It was time to free her little brother from his prison. Unknown to her, a certain Augment quietly shadows her every step and he watches as she leaps high up onto the black, wrought iron fence and hauls herself carefully over it. If someone even thought about trying to hurt her, he'd split their skull open and burn their cities to the grounds.