Chapter 4

Ve knelt beside her Jeff, eyes on his face. They were closed again. Had been, for quite some time. Time was new. She understood time, she thought. Time was what was between things. Ve was also, slowly, coming to understand understanding. What she saw meant something, and if she tried, observed more, that meaning would come to her.

She still did not understand Jeff.

The room was dark, the only faint light coming in from a glass covered opening in the wall. His face was mostly in shadow, but by now she knew every part of it. It was a good face. A handsome face. A loving face. Again, for the hundredth time since her Jeff had closed his eyes, Ve reached out to gently touch him. Her fingertips ran slowly over his skin, his cheeks, forehead, lips.

She felt.

Felt not just him, but inside herself. Felt ... what? What was it?

Ve did not know. In time, she knew, she would.

Menolly woke to a large wet tongue on her face.

Men she had slept with, if they woke first, generally were not playing with that part of her body as she slept. Thus, she knew it wasn't Jeff. It probably also wasn't Ve. Gods, she hoped it wasn't her. That left one person.

"Uhg ... morning, Canth."

Her eyes opened. The brown dog's black nose was almost touching hers, snout filling her field of vision. She closed her eyes.

"I take it you need to go outside."

She felt Canth jump back, giving a bark. Gathering her strength, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, eyes opening. It was light. Outside the cabin's picture window, the sky was blue, the ground white and beautiful. The air in the cabin was a bit chilly. The stove was probably down to just warm coals. She looked at the dog, waiting anxiously.

"OK, let's do this before I fall back asleep." Throwing the covers aside, she slipped her feet into her slippers and started her day.

Jeff woke in a strange bed.

He blinked. No. He knew this one. He had been in it before. So. The second time he had awoken in it. Not AS common an occurrence as waking in a completely strange bed, but one night stands had become more on occasion. Stacy, for example. She had been his girl for only a couple weeks, but could be a keeper. Assuming her canceling had been a legitimate one, and not the start of the process of dumping him. Girls could be so...

Ve's red face moved into his line of sight.

All thoughts of the buxom blonde vanished from his mind.

"Hi," he said, smiling up at his companion. She smiled back, white eyes wide.

"Hi." Her voice sent a thrill through him. He had thought, maybe, she'd be gone. Vanished, back to wherever she had come from. He reached up, fingers touching that burning, glassy skin. Her own fingers dropped to his face, running over a day's worth of beard. He wanted ... he wanted to toss aside the covers. Draw her nude form down against his. Feel her burning skin, revel in her touch. Jeff felt himself harden at the very thought of it. He wanted to be inside her, to feel her flesh engulf him.

No condom, either. She'd probably melt it against his dick.

Jeff heard the bedroom door open a crack, hinges squeaking. More squeaking followed. Turning his head away from the magical girl, he saw the mundane Menolly in the open doorway, She was dressed in a blue sweatshirt, white stick figures on the front, and blue jeans. She came in, walking to the side of the bed opposite Ve.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"OK." He frowned, looking at Ve then back at Menolly. "Can you still see her?"

"Yup." She pulled back his blanket, a hand going to the bandages on his chest.

"Then why didn't you knock, or give us a moment when you saw us occupied?"

"You were flirting, not fucking. I've dealt with enough lovestruck siblings and friends to know if you don't just interrupt you'll never get anything done." She pulled the blanket down farther, revealing his boxers. "Roll over. Let me see that wound."

Grumbling, he complied, Ve moving aside to make room. As Menolly 's hands touched his back with a tenderness he found surprising, Ve kept backing up until she was standing on the wooden floor. Her eyes never left him.

"Asking if I'll live is probably a rather pointless question," he said, feeling her fingers lift up the blood soaked pad. Turning his head away from Ve, he saw Menolly nod.

"If you ... can die, and how you'll live after this, are the more realistic questions." Her eyes met his, stepping back as she indicated he could sit up. "You realize your old life is over. Friends, family ... Ve has to be kept secret. Protected. Who you tell, who you trust, will be important."

Jeff considered. Yes. He'd seen the movies. Government scientists trying to capture the alien who just wants to be friends, wanting to cut it open or use it as a weapon. It made sense.

Too much sense. He narrowed his eyes, an idea forming.

"You know of another."

The bald woman winced. Carefully, Jeff stood. There was some discomfort, some pain, but how much was from aching, tired limbs and how much from actual unhealed damage was unclear. Menolly's eyes looked around him to Ve.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And she lives in a safe place, isolated and protected from any strangers. An entire system of defenses and safeguards have been developed, an entire, well, society created, to keep her safe and happy. Her friends and companions devote their entire life to her."

He turned to Ve. Yes. He could understand doing all that. Finding some hole or fort to hide in, away from the world that threatened...

Jeff's head whipped around to face Menolly again. Oh. God. The woman nodded.

"You are alive, Jeff. She did not kill you. Has, in fact, now healed you. But your life is over. Pray that she will let you leave her side for hours at a time. Pray that her needs are modest. Give up all thought of marriage, of career. Of family. Friends. Your existence, now, revolves around her."

The road was plowed.

That was a nice surprise. Officer Zane, Heather, had probably sent word somewhere. Menolly had the suspicion that most of the locals knew each other around here, so the woman probably knew those with plows on a first name basis. She wasn't complaining. Help was always more than welcome, when it wasn't coming from pity. It took the two of them a half hour to shovel out her car. She worked slowly, not straining herself. He did the same, male ego contained, he admitted, with the knowledge that he still had digging out his truck to look forward to. Also his snowmobile, but that could even wait for another day.

Ve helped, a bit. The hot blooded (or whatever) girl walked through the snow, melting or softening it. A shovel would have been more useful, but the fact there were even two was good fortune enough. She seemed to enjoy it, which was good. The cold didn't hurt her, nor the water from melted snow. All facts to file away for later.

After a breakfast of frozen pizza, Ve not eating, they climbed into Menolly's car. The four door sedan didn't have four wheel drive, but the tires were good so she wasn't too worried. She looked at Jeff.

"You have your keys, right?"

"Right here." He patted his jeans pocket. He wore the outfit she had found him in under his riding gear, the back still stained with blood. None of her clothing would fit him. Ve, in the back seat, looking around curiously, wore a pair of her jeans, the legs rolled up a bit, and a Buffalo Bills sweatshirt she didn't care about. If that one burned up, no big loss. Canth sat as far away from the red girl as he could on the bench seat.

"Let's do this, then." Turning the key, the engine happily starting up, she looked over her shoulder and began backing out of the driveway.

The truck was partly buried about ten feet from the plowed road. Menolly saw the posted signs for the start of the snowmobile trail. The guy had ALMOST made it the other day. His path, though, looked like it would have taken him over a small stream, so crashing was probably in the cards regardless. She idled the car for a moment, letting Jeff and Ve exit, pulling forward once they were clear to come to a stop as close as she could without driving into the snowbank. Turning off the car and grabbing her cellphone, she got out herself, leaving Canth inside for now. Menolly checked the phone, then went over to the others.

"I'm going to try and make some phone calls. I'm getting a couple bars here, which is an improvement. I'll help you dig afterwards, if I'm up to it." He nodded, understanding. She looked at Ve. "Have Ve sit in your truck, maybe scrunch down a bit. We don't want a passing car to see her."

"Gotcha. Come on, Ve."

Menolly sighed. What a weekend. Turning away from the pair, she looked at her phone. Who to call first...

"Mommy! The phone!"

Ai looked up from little Es and Id, her two nursing babies, as La ran into the main room. Her daughter's long brown hair fluttered behind her like a cape, a cape attached to her head. So, not a cape, really. The seven year old did at times seem like a superhero, though, flying around their home on a mission to do good. She did do good, too. Ai was incredibly proud of her first daughter, and son. She smiled at her, even as her eyes told the girl to quiet down. La did, eyes dropping to the two babies. She almost tiptoed the final few feet.