Status: Edited

"We need to start being more careful with them. They're getting too close again."

"Graff, you need to relax. Friends will help push him to move forward with his training."

"Friends are different. I can control friends. But whatever is going on between them is dangerous. It jeopardizes everything."

"Well you can't get rid of her. It's too late for that now."

"I'm aware of my limitations, Anderson."

"Just stop being so controlling over these kids. You'll end up doing something that you'll regret if you continue being this paranoid."

"Being paranoid has saved humanity on more than one occasion in the past."

"I guarantee this won't be one of those times."

. . .

When we made it back at the battle room, Ender was already there waiting to greet us. Once we'd all arrived, he gathered us around for a quick discussion before beginning training.

"We had a good first battle," he said before being immediately cut off by an outburst of cheers. He waited until we were quiet. "We did well against Rabbit," he went on. "But the enemy isn't always going to be that easy to beat in the future. C toon," he turned to Crazy Tom. "Your advance along the wall was way too slow. If Rabbit had been prepared, they would have easily picked you off."

Crazy Tom gave a stiff nod and Ender went on, expression stony. "A and E, your aim needs improvement. You average hit was way too low." He pushed through the silence. "So let's get to it. I want every toon to split in half. One half will be used as targets, while the other works on their aim. I'll use the hook to thaw every three minutes and tell you when to switch."

The leader of toon A, Fly Molo, spoke up. "Will we have any stars to work with? To steady our aim?"

The rest of us immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing by the bothered look that passed over Ender's face. "You shouldn't need a star to steady your aim. Now go!"

I took my toon off to the side, splitting it into two groups before we launched into null gravity. Though everyone was tired, we all worked as hard as ever to improve through the duration of the practice.

By the time we broke for showers, I was completely drained, but satisfied with our results for the day.

. . .

I'd decided to leave dinner early that evening in order to get some of my homework done, and was headed back to the barracks when I saw Ender turn the corner up ahead. A smile sprang to his lips when he saw me.

"Ho, Lara." He stopped to greet me.

I smiled back brightly. "Ho, Ender." I took note of the way he shifted from foot to foot before me. "Is everything okay? Why aren't you at dinner?" I asked, brow furrowing.

"I was actually just coming to find you," he said, holding my gaze. "And I wasn't hungry. I was wondering if we could talk and just catch up." He paused awkwardly. "Honestly, I feel like I need someone to talk to right now." He looked away momentarily.

It didn't seem like he was used to asking someone to hang out, which made sense, especially in the Battle School environment. "Of course," I said, my confusion fading. "We could go to the barracks if you want. No one's there right now."

"If it's okay with you, I would rather go back to my room," he said, catching my gaze again.

I shrugged. "That works, I don't mind."

As Ender lead the way to his room, I watched him out of the corner of my eye. Like earlier, he still looked tired, but he seemed to be doing a bit better. When we arrived, Ender sat down on his bed with his back against the wall while I pulled his desk chair closer.

Trying to make conversation was awkward at first, as neither of us had done something like this before, but our dialogue slowly got more comfortable as we relaxed. We reminisced on our old Launchie days and even shared a few laughs about Officer Dap. But the farther we talked into the evening, the more our topic shifted.

Finally, we found ourselves on the topic of home.

It had been so long since either of us had talked about our families and it was especially apparent as Ender spoke. At first we only told small stories, like what life was like in Earth school. But the more we shared, the harder it was to stop.

"I have two older siblings," Ender said, watching me as if gauging my reaction. I made sure to keep my features neutral as he continued.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Two children was the usual limit down on Earth. A third was almost unheard of.

But someone's worth isn't determined by what someone else labels them as. It didn't matter to me that Ender was a third. I nodded for him to go on.

"The oldest is my brother, Peter." He frowned. "He wasn't quiet the role model you would expect an older brother to be." He paused, seeming to struggle for a moment to find the right words. "He was cruel and brutal. He used to beat me up when I was little. He hated me." His voice grew quiet and he wouldn't looking at me anymore. His eyes had glazed over, making it clear that his mind was off somewhere far away.

I got up from the desk chair and sat down next to him on his bed. He snapped out of his trance and looked down at me as I gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on, I'm listening," I whispered.

Ender turned his head away from me to look at the door. "Then there's my sister, Valentine." As he spoke, a sad smile crept over his face. "I loved her more than anything. She saved me from Peter too many times to count." He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "She was the kindest person I'd ever met." He looked back down at me. "She understood people unlike anyone else could."

I looked at him quizzically. "Was?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Was. She was the kindest person I'd ever met. Until I met you."

For a second, I sat there, entranced by his intense blue eyes. They were like a summer sky, clear and beautiful. Time seemed to stop then, and the only thing that mattered was the two of us out in the middle of space.

"What about you?" Ender asked, "What was life like for you back on Earth?"

I looked down at the floor. "I had a brother too. His name was Daniel and he wasn't that kind either, although not as bad as Peter." I sighed. "He never made it into Battle School and I'm positive he despised me for making it farther than him in the system." I looked up then and gave a cheerful smile. "But it's okay. Like I said, not as bad as Peter or the bullies."

"Bullies?" Ender frowned down at me, eyes suddenly filled with concern.

I froze. Shit. "It was nothing." I said quickly, "Just some annoying girls that wouldn't leave me alone for a while. It doesn't matter. It's over now anyway." I gave him my most convincing smile, my eyes pleading for him to drop it.

He did without comment, but the concern in his eyes didn't leave until we'd changed the subject.

As we moved on to talk about our classes, the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. The only light source of light remaining was the digital clock that sat on Ender's night stand. The numbers read 2200 hours, or 10:00 o'clock. We'd managed to talk right up until lights out.

I laughed as I looked at the clock. "I didn't even realize what time it was! We talked for ages!"

From somewhere in the darkness beside me, Ender spoke. "Neither did I. Would you like me to walk you back to the barracks?"

I shook my head, realizing a second too late that he couldn't see it. "No thanks," I said. "I'm sure I'll make it back okay on my own."

"Alright," Ender said. I heard him shift on the bed. "Good night, Lara. Thank you for talking with me tonight."

I smiled. "Any time. Good night." I got up from the bed and carefully made my way to the door. I paused before exiting, turning back to him. "You're good company, Ender. We should do this again some time. I had fun."

I slipped from the room into the dark corridor which was dimly lit by the smaller, mandatory emergency lights. The lights were just bright enough to let me see where I was going. A grin still on my face, I trekked quietly through the halls on my way back to Dragon Army barracks.

I was so caught up in my thoughts about the long conversation with Ender that I didn't notice the mass before me until I'd run straight into it.

Stumbling back, I looked up at the figure before me. I squinted my eyes, straining to see who it was in the dim light. Faintly, I could make out the green Salamander patch stitched to the breast of his jumpsuit.

With a sudden jolt, I realized I'd run right into Bonzo Madrid.