Thicker Than Blood
I do not own any film in the Alien franchise.
Chapter 12
On the surface and from above, it looked like any abandoned airfield. The giant hangar was rusting from disuse, the glass windows were broken or missing altogether. A mile below the surface, however, it was a hub of activity.
Jonathan helped out when he could, using his greater-than-human strength to move heavy objects. Cres'sa wanted to help, when she sensed her sibling working amongst the humans. It was what she wanted too, to be of help. Had she been back on the home world, she would be assisting the queen, her mother, with the hive's inhabitants. Here, she had nothing to do, not as when she was out with her human.
Jennifer refused a repeat of any sexual encounters, and Jonathan agreed to that. He had her taste and scent in his system, and that was enough, for now.
But Tanner called her into his office, worried, not that something was going on between the pair, but how it would affect one of his team. He had observed the mutant xenomorph male acting a bit too intimate with his soldier. He didn't want that to get in the way of Jennifer's duties.
"Take a seat, Philips," he said, indicating the chair opposite him.
She sat, and started to speak, when his hand being held up stopped her.
"Jennifer, is there something going on between you and Jonathan?"
She looked down at her lap, then up at the Major. "I can't hide anything from you, sir. You know me too well, after all these years. Yes, there is. He...well, since that time he tried..."
Tanner leaned closer. "He almost raped you, Sergeant." Leaning back, he steepled his fingers. "That doesn't bother you anymore?"
Jennifer inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Sir, I understand he is not fully human. And when I was alone with him, he made sure I was safe. We watched each other's backs, in fact. I don't hate him anymore."
"So I gather," Tanner responded. "Look, Jenn, I am as much his guardian as his parents are, at least when he is away from them. It's not just you I'm worried about."
"I understand, sir. I like Jonathan. I don't plan on ripping his heart out." She smiled. "Who knows? I may end up falling for the bastard. Sorry, sir."
Tanner nodded as he suppressed his smile. "You may go then. Just...don't let it affect your duties. I will have you transferred, if that happens."
Jennifer didn't like that threat. "Yes, sir." She left the major's office, aware now that she had better be on her best behavior. Being sent from this outfit in disgrace would not suit her at all.
After giving Sergeant Philips a warning, Tanner headed out to the main room. "Are the monitors online, Sheppard?" he asked curtly.
"Yes, sir. So far, it's all quiet out there." Sheppard had been scanning for any blips that might indicate approaching vessels for hours now. His eyes were beginning to cross, but he would wait until his shift was over.
"Good. Keep me posted." Tanner started to walk away to review other areas of the base, when a voice commanded his attention.
"Sir, we're picking up two ships. Heading...221.34 Northeast." He turned to look up at his commanding officer." One has Company codes. The other is not returning information relative to any Earth codes."
"Alright, boys and girls, this is it. Get geared up, now!"
Used to following orders and being combat ready in a blink of an eye, everyone ran to the bunkroom, and grabbed their gear from their lockers.
Jennifer had done just that, when she was stopped by Tanner.
"Sergeant Philips, I want you to stay here with Cres'sa and Jonathan, and Sul'ss and Annalise. Yes, I'm leaving the parents in your care as well. Watch them, just in case anyone gets past us."
Jennifer protested vehemently. "But Major, I have to go. I'm the best shot on the team."
"And that's why I need you here. Now, watch the twins and their parents. That's an order. We'll be back sooner than you can say pumpernickel."
That was what Tanner used to do with her, use silly words that she couldn't help but laugh at. "Yes, sir," she said, smiling despite her hurt and anger.
The major grasped her shoulder, nodded once, and turned on his heel, leaving her behind.
Jennifer watched as everyone but base personnel loaded up on two of the ships. They rode the lift up to the outside, leaving an angry Philips standing there, feeling unneeded, useless.
The ships flew along the course indicated by the directional beacon. Telemetry was steady. Until one ship vanished from the monitor.
"Where is it?" Rader, the newest member of the team, pushed buttons, but nothing changed. One of the ships was gone.
Tanner leaned over the man's shoulder to scan the screen. "Ok, so the Company ship is still there. Keep an eye on it."
OoOoOoOoOo
Back at the base, Jennifer wandered the Operations Center, until she saw that she wasn't needed there either. She headed for the bunk room, and opening her locker, decided to check her gear, in case the major called for more troops. She stopped, her shoulders sagging. She had never been left behind for any mission, ever. She sat, not moving, when she felt hands on her shoulders.
"You are not happy, Jenn." It was Jonathan, sitting next to her, gently rubbing her back.
"Of course not! They need me out there with them."
Jonathan leaned against her from behind. "I need you here."
Jenn shifted on the cot, to face him. "I..." Impulsively, she grabbed his hand and dragged him along with her. "Come on." She reached down, grabbing a couple of blankets off a cot.
"Did you call me earlier?" Jonathan asked, as he was being pulled along.
"No, but I was thinking of you. Why?"
Their bond was growing, their thoughts were merging. Jonathan felt it, but had not mentioned it before, in case he was wrong. Now he knew. She had thought of him, and he heard her.
Jennifer admitted that holding off Jonathan for a long time was never going to work. She wanted him, badly. Especially now that she was feeling left out of important missions. Still, Tanner trusted her to care for the xenomorph family, as if any danger could be found here in this base. No one even knew they were here.
As if sensing her need, Jonathan reached for her, his hands already on her.
"Not here!"
Leading him to an empty room, she turned on the light, and locked the door.
"What is this room used for?" Jonathan asked.
"Are you kidding? This place is huge. They have more rooms than they actually need. No one will bother us here." She lay the blankets on the floor, then turned to Jonathan and leaned into him. She looked up into his black eyes, and smiled.
Jonathan pulled Jennifer closer, leaned down and kissed her deeply. He ran his hands over her warm body. Sensing her emotions, he knew that there was nothing he could do to ease her pain. Instead, he let her burning carry him along.
They lay on the blankets, hands touching, lips tasting. It was not long before their bodies were locked together, moving as one.
Jenn had turned Jonathan over on his back, and then laid her hands on his chest, holding him down. She rode him while staring into his dark eyes. His caresses inflamed her. Anger fed her passion until the one supplanted the other, and she could concentrate only on the feel of Jonathan in her. Before he spilled himself into her, she took her pleasure of him, riding him until she climaxed, then let him fill her with his seed. She slid off him, and lay at his side while he regained his breath.
Jonathan was spent. His desire for this woman had been whetted and satisfied. He let her drape an arm over him possessively, while he ran fingers along her shoulder. How close they would become in time, he didn't know. All he knew was that she was his alone.
OoOoOoOoO
As the two ships with Tanner's forces followed the telemetry from the remaining vessel, Rader was shocked to find that ship had also vanished off his screen. "Sir! Come look."
Tanner's eyes scanned the readouts. "The ship is on the ground. Get us to the last known location."
"Sir?" Rader asked.
Leaning closer to the soldier, Tanner said distinctly, "Take us down to where the ship's last known location registered. If it has crashed, I want to know where."
"Yes, sir!" Rader knew better than to question the major. He did now. Triangulating last readouts, he led the teams to the last location of the lost vessel. "It should be here, Major."
Reardon set down near the proper coordinates, followed by the other ship. Once landing gear had touched down, the doors opened and everyone exited, guns ready.
"Oh my god. What the hell happened here?" Ed said, bile rising in his throat.
"It's a fucking massacre," another soldier said in disbelief.
There, amongst still-hot metal fragments, were dead uniformed men and women. Everywhere lay bodies and parts of bodies. The ground was splashed with blood; the air was heavy with the smell of rancid copper.
"What did this?" asked Rader.
Everyone stepped gently over the remains of soldiers like themselves, the only difference was they worked for the Company.
"Nothing human could be responsible for all this." Tanner bent and examined one partial body, noticing the spine missing. It was the same all over. Every body was missing organs, flesh and bone, something.
The team checked over the entire area, with no trace of any attacker. In that regard, the place had been swept clean.
The sound of an active laser rifle alerted everyone. A group of Company soldiers surrounded Tanner's people. He shouted, "Hold your fire!" There was reason for another massacre, with his men as the victims.
A man of the rank of Colonel stepped forward and nodded to Major Tanner. "Hello, Major."
"You know me?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"By reputation. But I didn't think you could stoop so low."
"Look around you, Colonel. Does it look like we did this?"
He did just that, looking over the area at what was left of his team. "I don't think so, no. So what is it?"
Tanner moved over to stand near the Colonel. "And sir, you are?"
"Colonel Moore."
Tanner wondered how he could explain. "Colonel Moore, there are these...creetures, aliens if you will. I know that sounds impossible, but we have seen them. They literally hunt humans, brutally and without mercy."
Moore looked at Tanner. It was as if he were considering something. He spoke low and drew Tanner aside. "We know about these aliens too. What we don't know is how to stop them. We were hoping your xenomorph friends would have information, and would be willing to help us."
"The xenomorphs?" Tanner asked incredulous. So that is why the Company wanted to get their hands on the twins.
"There have been reports for years about meetings between these hunters and aliens, the xenos. It goes way back. We figured there must be some animosity, an undeclared war, if you will."
Tanner listened. "And so you want the xenomorphs for your own personal army."
"They would be saving the Earth, Major. What Weyland-Yutani wants is a truce. We work together, combine our forces, and you bring in the xenos."
Tanner hated the last part, but he had to admit, there was no way they were going to defeat the hunters on their own. The entirety of Earth's combat forces would be needed. For all he knew, Earth was about to be invaded. "So how do we do this?"
OoOoOoOoOo
Jennifer lay on her stomach, her arms crossed beneath her head, a blanket lightly draped over the lower half of her body. Her eyes were closed, as she enjoyed Jonathan's fingers trailing over her back. "That feels good," she murmured.
Jonathan leaned down to kiss her back. He wanted to explore her body, since he wasn't that familiar with humans. If it gave her pleasure, all the better.
"I don't care if this is wrong, Jonathan, I won't deny my feelings."
"Uncle Tanner told you to stop being with me?" Jonathan couldn't blame the human if he had, but he feared he would hate him for it.
"Not exactly. He just said if it interferes with my job, he'll transfer me. I don't want that, Jonathan." She moaned low as he touched a sensitive spot. "Frankly, I'm amazed you wanted me at all. Would that be normal for your kind?"
"Well, my sister feels the same about Sergeant Wheaton."
Jenn turned over onto her side. She felt shock. It wasn't possible. "Ed? Cres'sa likes Ed?"
"Why, yes. My sister is attracted to him. She regards him as her mate already."
Jennifer frowned in confusion. "But how can that be? I mean, you look fairly human, at least. But Cres'sa and Ed aren't even remotely similar."
Jonathan shrugged. "She has felt this way for awhile now."
"Has Ed shown he knows? Does he return her feelings?"
"Not that I know of, Jenn. Does it matter?"
"Hell, yes, it matters. I have to tell Ed, so that he doesn't hurt Cres'sa's feelings." She stood, gathering a sheet around her. "We'd better get back to Operations."
Jonathan rose, and took Jennifer in his arms. He leaned forward to kiss her one last time. Then he released her. His face serious, he said, "Maybe he feels for her too. Have you considered that?"
OoOoOoOoOo
Later, in the sleep area, Jennifer was getting her uniforms folded and packed away. It was tedious work, but better now than later. She noticed a small group of the base soldiers heading her way, and nodded at them. But her mind was elsewhere.
"Hey, Jenn, come on. We're getting a game of poker together. Wanna join us?" Parker was already shuffling the cards, as he approached her.
"No, sorry, guys. I really need to get this stuff put away. Being away for so long...well, you know..."
Everyone knew what Jennifer had been through, having been captured with the xeno mutant. They also knew she wasn't happy about the current assignment she found herself with. Parker nodded, and said, "Well, if you have time, we'll be in meeting room 7."
"Ok, thanks, guys." Jenn stood there, wishing she could go join them. She went back to work, before she changed her mind and followed the others.
Jenn was just about finished, when she heard a sound behind her. Turning, she never expected to see the figure that stood in front of her. It was... "Sul'ss!"
The soldier stood frozen. What was he doing here? She tried not to show fear, but she realized she was trembling.
The tall, black-shelled xenomorph slowly approached Jennifer on his thin, muscular legs. He stopped a mere foot in front of her, opened his jaw, and hissed at her.
Jenn, in her most courageous effort, said, "Is there...anything I can do for you?" Her voice cracked from fear.
Sul'ss tried to communicate with the human female. If his son were here, he would have him speak for him. But Sul'ss didn't want Jonathan to witness his meeting with the human. Reaching out with a taloned hand, he touched the human's hair, so much like that of his own human female. He brushed it back away from her face, as he reached out to her with his thoughts. But she could not understand him.
His son wanted this female for his, and had already made her his. But would she accept his son's desires as her own, to be his mate for life?
Jennifer peered up at the xenomorph. She tried to read him, and only sensed a questioning. "You want to know what I feel about Jonathan?" How did she know that?
Sul'ss nodded slowly. She did understand. The bond was there.
"I like him...a lot. I may even...love him. I just don't know."
Sul'ss reached out and pulled Jennifer close. He lay the snout of his carapace against her forehead, then released her. He swung his great head to the side, then back at her, as if saying he understood more than she thought. Sul'ss then left her.
Once the xenomorph was gone, Jenn collapsed on the bed. She sat there in wonderment. Everything was changing. It was all very confusing. One thing she knew, when Ed returned, and she was sure he would, she had to have a talk with him.
Author's Note:
I was finally able to complete this chapter. Done late, so I will check it over for errors. For now, enjoy. Thanks for reading.