Chapter 5.
In Memory.

When Garagus arrived back at the ship, it was a relief to be out of his armour and soggy boots. After getting into bed, he found Rhuba under the coverers in the foetal position.

"what are you doing?" He asked her after pulling the covers away.

"I can't sleep."

"that's a surprise, it's all you've been doing."

Rhuba could see the contempt in his face as he pulled the cover back over, shutting her in the dark and turning his back on her. She pulled herself up towards the head of the bed.
"Why can't you understand how I feel?" She yelled, letting out days of repressed rage. "My mother… she took care of you too, or have you forgotten already?"

Garagus sat up, looking down at her with that same look on his face.
"Of course not! If your mother hadn't taken me in, I'd have either been killed or lived long enough to be like the rest of the Alphas, or 'Elites' or whatever they called themselves…" He grumbled. "But I'm not going to sit about and wait for death. We'd still be in Freeza space if I followed your example. So either shut up and help me or just shut up!"

Rhuba's eyes were swelling. But she was able to nod to him. Garagus fell back against his pillow, staring at the far wall. But behind him, he could feel her getting up. Then heard her walking across the floor.

At first, he thought she was going to the bathroom, but she headed towards the hallway door.
"Where are you going?"

"So I can talk now?" She didn't even look back as the door slid shut.

Garagus chased after, but when he looked into the hall, he just caught a glimpse of her walking into Granate's old room. Since he was no longer on the ship, Rhuba saw no sense in leaving a perfectly good bed doing nothing.
Garagus went back to bed by himself. Feeling the empty space next to him was infuriating.
They've slept together every night since he moved into Cressin's den.

"how dare she…" He grumbled before slamming his elbow on the mattress as he turned away. His own mother may as well have discarded him like everyone else in his troop, whereas Cressin put her own life and that of Rhuba for a stranger's runt.
Suggesting that he doesn't care what happened to Cressin hit a nerve, and to hear Rhuba say it…

His fist slammed against the wall in a small fit of rage. The wall panel cracked, leaving a huge indent that possibly could be seen from the other side.
"dammit." He cursed as he lay back down.

In the whole universe, the ship is his only home now, and he's already damaging it. Rhuba is the only person in the whole universe he cares about, she's fading away bit by bit.

Why is everything about survival? Rhuba thought as she rested against the pillow.
Convincing Cressin to let Garagus in, staying out of the Tuffle conflict, those were survival moves too, but Rhuba was happy about them.

Garagus was a friend whom she loved dear even back then, and staying out of danger was obviously a smart move. But when they grew up, when they got took over by the military, Garagus wanted to see the stars and take her with him.
But staying back home with her friends and doing odds and ends to make money was what she wanted.
Being away from Garagus was tedious at times, but she'd wait all the same and love listening to the different worlds he'd been to.

Leaving her mother, friends and home to join this crew, being stuck in space for a year, just more survival tacts minus the wanting. And the feeling that she'd missed a whole year of home and family just to see them all get blown to bits right in front of her.
It's like a sick joke the universe was playing, and now Garagus in being like this. He'd never been this angry at her before. Never yelled. Never seriously told her to shut up.

All I do is sleep? Rhuba watched through the window. The stars were sparkling outside. It was peaceful out there, but not in her head.
Her eyes would shut and she'd wait in darkness.
The truth is she hasn't slept much at all. Her vision was always clouded by pain whenever she tried.

"Stay here, Rhuba."

"Okay, mum." Rhuba followed her mother out through the burrow. Cressin would dash off barefooted across the grass towards the trees on the far end of the meadow, and Rhuba would stay with her head poking just slightly out to watch her go before slipping back into the den.

Living underground in a burrow means it's always rather cold and dark. Because of this, the floor was layered with soft skins from all their kills and in the middle was a fire pit.
Rhuba waited by the fire for her mother to return. The draft from outside was blowing in through the tunnel, making her very chilly even with the freshly fed fire and her favourite fur wrapped over her shoulders.

Opposite the exit tunnel was a second opening that led to the bedding area. Lined with much softer, fluffier pelts and furs. To stay warm, Rhuba would often bury herself and snuggle up under the soft furs.
She was so cosy and warm. Falling asleep was almost too easy.

But pretty soon, Rhuba woke to a sharp pain shooting right up her spine.
Her arms seized for a second before going limp, then she felt a hard smack below her tail before dropping on the floor of the stinking den.

Gaining control of her arms and legs once more, Rhuba scrambled away from her enraged mother, sitting with her back against the far wall near the exit tunnel.

"I've warned you, Rhuba." Cressin said as she too crawled over.

Rhuba sniffed and wiped her frightful tears, but didn't say anything. She could already see one of the pelts had been pulled away from the fire with some of it singed black with a smoking twig stuck to the burnt fibres.
If Cressin hadn't come home when she did, Rhuba would have either suffocated in the smoke or burned to death when the fire got big enough.

But after a moment, those fears were washed away by a new feeling.
Rhuba looked at her mother, and without a second thought crawled over and attached herself to Cressin.
No words were exchanged. With her arms, legs and even her tail around her mother's torso. Rhuba was so happy just to have her back that she didn't want to let go. Not for anything.
Suddenly, she heard a loud crash.

"Mum!" Rhuba yelped as sat up on her bed in a breathless panic. But there was no one but her in the room.

The furs were replaced by a quilt. The dirt walls were metal, and the burrow to the outside was a transparent alloy. She had been dreaming. That much was clear. But what was that noise?
Was that part of the dream or, has someone come aboard?

Rhuba locked her jaw. Kept her eyes focused on the door as she stepped forward. Her right fist was ready to punch.
Be it a Freeza soldier or some other intruder, their face is getting smashed if she doesn't recognise it.

The door slid open, and on the other side was a low lit hallway.
Even fully awake, she felt she could still smell the burnt fibres from her old den.
"who's there? Garagus?" She peeked around the corner. There was no one.
Is he still in their room? Is he okay? She repressed her fear and opened the door to make sure he was alright.

By opening up from the outside, the room automatically filled with a dim light so the person could find their bed safely.

"What is it?" Hearing her come in, Garagus rolled over to see what she wanted.

"you're okay…" She sighed, then noticed the crack in the wall above the bed, and guessed the sound that woke her was him causing that damage.

"Rhuba…" Garagus sighed. "I'm, sor-…" Metallic popping rang thought out the ship, followed by another loud clang, causing both of them to jump at the sound.

As Garagus rose out of bed, Rhuba backed away and shut the door. "Someone's here… someone's in the ship…" She was trembling like a leaf. "we kill him…" She turned to Garagus.

Behind those tears and look of dread, was a small lingering flame of the fire that she was just a few weeks ago. But if this is Freeza's doing, that fire will be extinguished along with her if it comes to a fight.
"Wait…" Was all Garagus could say. He had no words to negotiate or convince her to hear him, so he just held his hand out in front of her to keep her back as he took lead.

Rhuba stayed close behind to back him up. Every other second she'd check over her shoulder to make sure there was no one sneaking up.

"Rhuba…" Garagus whispered as he turned to her. "What's that smell?"

Rhuba blinked at him. It was a strange thing to pick up on but now that he mentioned it, the air did carry a strong smell. She thought it was just her due to her dream, but it even felt warmer than it should.
If she had to put a name to it, she'd say it was like burning metal.

"oh no…" Rhuba half-covered her face in both hands and began to slide down against the wall.

Garagus had turned to face the oncoming corner, so he didn't hear her whimpered voice when he entered the canteen. His left arm was up in a guard while his right stayed ready to punch out his target.

The room was dark, the heat was getting more noticeable. Sometimes energy attacks emit heat. He wished he'd brought his scouter so he could track the source easier.
He moved cautiously around the room, looking under tables and checking corners. It wasn't a big room, but there were lots of food containers people could hide in or behind.

"Rhuba, what are you doing?" He demanded.

She was walking across the floor, with her head down and tail hanging between her legs until she reached near enough where the stove was. It was still dark, but she bent down and hissed in pain, pulling her hand back.
Deciding that the darkness was more of a hindrance to him than an advantage at this point, Garagus reached the panel and turned on the lights.

Rhuba was sitting by the table, holding her burnt hand while a black pot lay smouldering on the floor along with the charred remains of two protein balls.
The stove had been left on. The water evaporated and one of the balls must have popped with the pressure and caused the pot to fall.

"god, dammit…" He mumbled, feeling the fear and adrenaline still rushing over him.

Rhuba only saw the shadow and feet of Garagus moving over to carefully pick the mess up. Her hand was still too red from the burn.
Up until feeling the heat back from the hall, Rhuba couldn't even remember getting up to eat something.

I walked back to the room, with the stove still on… what's wrong with me? She flinched at the slight touch of Garagus's hand on her head.

"It's fine," He told her, retracting his hand at first. "lets just, go back to bed."

"It's not fine…" Rhuba shook her head. "you want me to be strong but… I'm completely useless now."

Garagus let her go as he thought back to how they met. A gathering of Saiyans. Weak and strong. The Alphas and the ones that dwell under the dirt.
Ol Captain Granate came to mind too. He said before he left, that the Saiyans are whoever the both of them choose to be now.
So obsessed with honouring the memory of his people, Garagus lost sight of the simple fact that everything he and Rhuba are was an affront to their people.
When challenged by strangers, Garagus would stand his ground. When challenged by his own blood, Garagus stood his ground. When that didn't work, he and Rhuba would find a place they could be happy.
Now they're miserable, both of them trying to be something out with their nature.

"I'm sorry Rhuba… we did almost die. You're right to be scared," Garagus held her by the shoulders gently, resting his head to the side of hers'. "But what happens when a Saiyan recovers from near death? Do you know?"

Rhuba shook her head.

"We rise up more powerful than we were before."

"Garagus…" Rhuba had no interest in Saiyan legends or fables.

"You will get stronger for living through this, I promise you…"

"Why? What's left to live for?"

Garagus saw the pleading look in her tired eyes. Rhuba needed a good answer, but what she got was him leaning in with his arms locked around her.
"I'm holding her." He said, head resting on her shoulder.

Rhuba felt slightly underwhelmed by his gesture, but the longer he held the more she felt guilty of all things. He'd lost just as much as she had, but he was still going for her.

Rhuba remembered the boy who'd get beaten up every other day, coming back to her den with a fresh bruise and often a bloody nose or lip. Months this would go on for.
Rhuba was much like any other young girl and boys that can't fight are unimpressive to say the least and certainly not with her time.
Yet somehow, she felt sorry for him and would sometimes offer sympathies and a cuddle, assuming his stubbornness didn't lead him to push her away, as it often did back then.
But she kept spending time with him anyway and somewhere along the line, that boy stopped coming back with bruises and started coming back with tales of victory, and when someone almost twice Rhuba's size started giving her trouble at a gathering, Garagus, not even reaching the guy's shoulders in height, cracked him so hard in the jaw that the stranger didn't dare stand up to either of them again.

"okay…" Rhuba sighed, tightening her grip on his hands. "let's go."

Garagus kept on one knee, insisting she stands up first before he followed.

There was a moment of hesitation at the bedroom doors. Garagus wasn't sure which room she wanted to go in.
"C'mon." She kept a hold of his hand, leading him to their room.

"Are you okay?" Garagus asked, watching her climb over to her side by the window.

After slipping her legs under the covers, Rhuba stared up at the ceiling, feeling like she could pass out any second but also feeling like her headache would keep her awake forever.

"Rhuba, I shouldn't have told you to shut up," Garagus whispered as he climbed in next to her. "I'm sorry."

"I'm going to help more, I promise." She said back but Garagus could feel there was more going on under the sure tone in her voice.

"It would help me a lot, if you eat the food I make you tomorrow," He told her. "Eat, drink. Just, don't die… please don't die…"

Rhuba looked at her Alpha mate. He looked like he could leak tears any minute.
"don't cry, wuss," She whispered with a painful laugh as she looked up to the ceiling. "every time I close my eyes I can see our planet explode."

"me too," Garagus replied, holding her hand under the covers.

"I just keep picturing the woods out past the den… chasing you through the trees."

Rhuba could remember it. She'd always spot him in flight. Such a cheater. He always promised not to fly when trying to catch her.
She rolled towards him while keeping their hands locked over her chest.

Garagus didn't understand what was going on until she was completely in his grasp, sharing body heat with him. What's more, he could feel her tail brushing past his knees. Almost on reflex, his own tail found and coiled around hers'.
"remember the early days? Cressin sleeping between us."

"m'hmm." Rhuba could picture their den now. Bundled up under the furs in the pitch blackness with only the sound of their breath and the crackle of the fire in the sitting space.

So long as one person, usually mother, was awake, the fire could be left on without anyone getting yelled at. But if Garagus and Rhuba ever went off to bed together, their seclusion would last maybe a minute before the flame had water thrown over and Cressin would come crawling in to roll one or both of them over and make room for herself.
It was expected, but still annoying.

Never the less, those cosy nights as a family were wonderful.
Thinking about them helped Rhuba find enough peace of mind to sleep through the night.