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» CHAPTER ELEVEN «

Nick found his voice, "Or maybe I can stay here and listen."

These smiled. "Good boy." She loosened her grip but still kept a firm hold on him. "Now Brian I believe you left off right before Cheste was killed, am I correct?"

"You mean before you murdered her?" Brian corrected. "Yes, I did."

"Very well. As I chased Brian and Cheste down the hallway...."

Brian gripped Cheste's hand tightly, "Come on run!"

She faltered a little behind Brian. "Brian..I…can't run anymore." She panted.

"Only a little further, I promise!" Brian encouraged.

"I...can't." Cheste collapsed on the sleek floor.

Without hesitating, Brian picked the Fetra up and resumed running down the corridor. His wrist protested Cheste's weight and threatened to loose their grip. Brian gritted his teeth and did his best to ignore the pain. He continued running with These right on his tail. His ankle gave way and sent them both crashing to the floor. These effortlessly caught up to the duo.

"I'll teach you to choose a Fetra over your own species!" These raved.

"You won't hurt her." Brian's voice was calm and passive.

"What do you mean by that?!" These raved.

"To get to her you have to get through me and I know you won't kill me."

"Really?" These seemed amused by his assumption.

"I'm you're only hope in bring the Nytons back. And the sperm cells in your body will not live for over 48 hours. So if you kill me, I still win." Brian simply stated.

"Well you don't even know if I'm what you call pregnant!" These retorted.

"And you don't either." Brian's smile was smug. He knew this battle was his.

"I never said anything about hurting you. Yes, you're safe but you Fetra friend here isn't!" These seethed. "YOU, I can damage slightly and you'd still survive. But Cheste here is on her last lifeline. All I need is one snip and I cut off her life." These turned the tables on Brian and now she was the one smiling.

With those words hanging in air, These struck Brian. The young man went flying into a wall. He struggled to get up, but to no avail. These began her brutal assault on Cheste. Within seconds, These had the Fetra where she wanted her. "Oh Brian dear," She taunted. Brian struggled to focus his teal eyes. However, if didn't take a genius to figure out the scene before him. "Say your parting words now Brian."

"Cheste I...." Brian began.

"That's enough!" These declared. She took an object that resembled a knife and she slit Cheste's throat.

Brian scrambled to the Fetra's side. These stepped back to watch the man wither emotionally. Brian tried his best to stop the bleeding. Cheste looked up at him. Her last parting words were, "I'll be waiting for you." With that, her body went limp in Brian's arms and her eyes rolled back into her head. Brian looked up at These with pure rage in his eyes. He lunged at her in full attack mode.

The fight lasted only minutes. These waved her knife around, trying to strike Brian. She was careful not to hit any vital organs. He leapt up and began running down the long corridor. These tried to stop him by grabbing the robe. As a result, the bottom portion ripped off.

Brian looked for a hiding place. He could hear These and a few others close on his tail. Brian slipped into the shadows. He scanned the hall way as he waited for the group to reach him. His teeth sunk into his lip in effort to hold back from screaming as visions of Cheste filled his mind. Thick blood oozed out and danced on his tongue. Tears rolled down his face and the cuts on his cheeks began to sting as the salt water hit the opened wounds. He was afraid to move and expose himself. His clothing hung about him in rags and his body was covered with blood. Some was his, some wasn't. He saw everything. Brian knew they would be after him next. These's gleaming eyes turned to his direction. She stopped the group.

"He's here." She began to look around more feverishly.

Brian began thinking of somewhere else on the ship. Then it dawned on him. The cockpit! He could go there and turn the ship back to Earth. Brian closed his eyes and concentrated on the command center of the ship. Just as Brian's vision began to cloud, These saw him. However, by the time she was in a mid air launch, Brian was gone.

~ Present Day ~

"So are you're Caitlin's mother?" Nick pieced the information together.

"Smart boy." These chided. "Caitlin is only half Nyton and she was of no use to me. Actually, she would have been more of a bother to me because I would have had to take care of her. Instead, I brought her back to Brian."

"You heartless b*tch." Brian's voice was low and menacing. His teal eyes began glowing.

"Are you talking to me Brian dear? I'm not heartless yet. Dear Nicky is still alive, as are you." Nick gulped as These smiled. "And did I mention you are now expandable?"

Brian looked skeptical. "Elaborate please," was his soft command.

These acted like she was surprised. "You mean I never told you?"

"Told me what?" Brian's furry was growing by the second.

"About Jaysin."

"Who's Jaysin?" Brian wanted to know.

"You mean I forgot to mention to you about the twins I gave birth to?"

"Twins?" Brian arched his eyebrow.

"Yes one female, Caitlin, as you call her and one male, Jaysin. Maybe I should inform you that you are no longer the only male Nyton. Jaysin in 100% Nyton and when he grows up then he can take over the task you failed to complete. Well, I guess you DID succeed in a small way." A smile played on These's lips.

Brian's mouth was gaping. He had a son? Brian then knew what These was attempting to accomplish. She wanted him to know that she was still in charge. She also wanted to get him angry so she could easily kill him in a fight. Brian wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. He decided to attack her with a different angle. "It will still be many years before you will be able to breed him. By then, the females will be too old and who knows, by the time he reaches adolescence there could be no Nytons left." Brian watched These's face contort slightly as she took in Brian's words. "So I am still a great asset to you." He concluded. These continued to dwell on what Brian had said.

Nick inched down in his seat trying to make himself blend into his surroundings. The last thing he wanted to do was set These off. If he did that there would be a slim chance he wouldn't make it out alive.

"You prove an interesting point." These stated almost thoughtfully.

"I have a proposal for you." Brian offered.

"Which is...?" These looked at Brian with interest.

"You leave Nick alone. Let him go without harm and you can have me," Brian took a deep breath and continued, "Forever." These eyed him suspiciously. "I mean it. Let him go and you and any of the other Nytons can do whatever you want to me." Brian's teal eyes were unwavering as he silently challenged her to take him up on his offer.

"Anything?" These hissed as a sly smile came across her lip.

"As long as you spare Nick and Caitlin."

"Caitlin too? I think I can arrange that." These agreed. "But you DO realize that by your terms ANYTHING and EVERYTHING will happen to you?"

"I know the terms of my own offer."

"Deal, Nick is off the hook as is Caitlin. YOU however, are at my disposal."

"Fine, just if you're going to take me off of this planet, let me say good bye to my best friend and daughter." Brian added.

"I give you 24 standard Earth hours. At this time tomorrow, you will be all mine." These's cackle could be heard as she disappeared.

As soon as These was gone, Brian's cool exterior broke and he broke down. Tears fell quickly from his eyes. Nick watched as Brian fell back into his shattered life. Brian had toughened up once These had arrived but now he crumbled down again. Nick couldn't believe that Brian was giving up freedom to spare his life. A small voice interrupted Nick's thoughts.

"Da, wha wrong?" Caitlin wanted to know. She toddled over to her father and waited for him to pick her up. Brian glanced at the little girl and started crying harder.

"Caitlin, daddy has to go away for a while." Nick tired.

Caitlin turned to look at Nick wither her teal eyes. "When come back?"

Brian scooped her up in his arms and hugged her. "You know I love you right?" Caitlin nodded. Brian licked his lips. "I have to leave to save you." Caitlin looked confused. Brian decided to try a different angle. "You remember when you asked why you didn't have a mommy?" The little girl nodded again. "Well, your mommy came back and she wanted to hurt you, Nick and I."

"Why do tat?"

"Well, mommy's a mean person. In order for her not to hurt us, I agreed to go with her."

"Will hurt wou?" Caitlin looked scared.

"No, she won't hurt me because I decided to go with her." Brian explained. Caitlin still looked confused. "Here is what I want you to do," Brian began.

"Wha?"

"I want you to stay here with Nick and be good for him, do you understand?"

"Wes dadda. No want wou weave!" She protested.

"I know you don't sweetie, but this is something I have to do. Nick will explain it when you're older okay?" Caitlin didn't answer so Brian continued. "Right now, I want you to get some sleep though."

"Here wak up?" She looked up at her father with big teal eyes.

"Yes, I'll still be here when you wake up." Caitlin settled herself into Brian's arms and was asleep in minutes.

"I don't think I can leave her." Brian's voice was a soft whisper. "I'm a mess. Everything's been wrong since the day I passed out three years ago."

Nick wasn't sure what to do. He gently took Caitlin from Brian's arms and set her down on a large chair. Nick then hugged the older man. "You didn't have to do that. I mean I could have...."

"No. She would have killed you and taken me anyway. I can't hide from her any more. You, Caitlin, Kevin, Howie, AJ, and my mom are what keep me going everyday. If something is disrupted then I have no reason to stay."

"Brian don't talk like that. you're scaring me."

"Look Nick, take care of Caitlin for me, as well as my mom and the guys." Brian's voice was faint.

"Brian I...." Nick stopped when he realized Brian had cried himself to sleep. Nick signed. Brian's decision was going to be hard on everyone, but he knew that it had to be done.

~ One Year Later ~

Brian's body ached. He desperately needed sleep, but These wasn't about to grant him that. The Nytons were exactly what his mother had said: pure evil. Sure there were one or two that weren't, but they didn't make up for the others. Brian cringed as he felt the bed sag a little as another body climbed in.

"Dear Brian, are we tired?" These mocked.

"If you know the answer, don't bother asking the damn question!" Brian snapped. Although he had given in to the Nytons, he still had a sharp tongue. In the past year he had become bitter and would snap at everyone. True, some men wouldn't mind sleeping with a different woman every night, but that wasn't Brian's style. Especially since he knew that he was being used to breed other Nytons.

"Touché."

"Please just leave me alone. I'm spent for now."

"No can do. But I can promise you this," These paused, "After tonight you can rest for as long as you please."

Brian knew she was up to something and he didn't like it. "And the catch is?" Brian arched his eyebrow. He already knew the answer. These didn't have to say it, he could read it in her eyes: Death. These only smiled and stripped her jumpsuit off. She climbed into the bed and lingered over Brian's body. He knew what was coming and he wanted to get it over with quickly.

"I know this is what you want. I have kept you here long enough. I no longer have a use for you." These began. Brian saw These reach over to his left. She picked up something and the last thing Brian saw was a flash of light.

¤ Epilogue ¤
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