Ella

There are some moments in my life, where I've wondered what I'm going to do and how I'm going to get out of a situation. I've sat and thought it through, breaking down the problem into simple things that I can figure my way out of. I thought of this base as a sort of problem that needs to be broken down, only I feel like I don't have a lot of time to sit and think it through. I've had three days to sit and think this through, and I'm even more unsure about all of this as Dean and I walk through the halls, hoping we won't see anyone and hoping they won't see us. I want to accept that we're safe here, but after the past three weeks, I can't really accept that we're safe anywhere.

I can see how tense Dean is, his muscles are taut and his body is on edge. He's not the only one that feels like this, but I know how much he is trying to keep us all together. He's trying to keep calm, to show us that we're alright. We'll never be alright, though, until this shower is over and I can leave this place. I also have a feeling they won't let us leave, and I don't like being housed in a military base with these Guards that are completely ignorant to our curiosity.

"Do you think they'd let us leave? If we wanted to?" I whisper. Dean stops directly in front of me, and I accidentally run into his back, smacking my face off of his shoulder. "Ow," I mutter as I rub my nose.

"Sorry," he whispers back. "I thought I heard something. And no, Ella, I don't think they'd let us leave. Why would they want to count us? Want our names? This isn't making any sense to me, and that's why I want to get to the bottom of this all." He turns around and faces me, and for some reason, I see Peter in Dean. Peter always insisted he'd figure things out, get to the bottom of whatever struck his curiosity. Peter also had a knack for wanting to protect me, and through all the damage Dean and I have given each other through these past weeks, I know he wants to protect me. I know he once told me that I may have a bit of Norovian in me, but it still doesn't explain why he would even want to protect or maybe possibly care for me. I know I'm apart of this team, but I think there's something bigger then that behind all of this.

He's still looking down at me, and I can't seem to look away. Whenever we're alone and we're getting along and he looks at me in the way he tends to do when he's either curious or thinks something is wrong, is when I begin to see something different inside of him. He's not an ignorant alien, I regret telling him that, but I'm also not the weak human he's always thought, and the reminder of how he once treated me, I look away, breaking the eye contact. I care greatly for him, he is my best friend through all of this hell we've passed back and forth between one another, but there is still a part of me that will always remember the way he used to be towards me. The faith I had that he was going to be different, and how it was shattered when he treated me like crap, gives me a pain inside that I've never felt, and I don't like it. I don't want to be pained, I want to let it go, I want to move on, but losing my family and my crush and my whole town, makes the pain easier to hold onto.

"I hope we do get to the bottom of it, and I hope we're just paranoid about all of this. I don't want to be in danger again, Dean. I'm so sick of feeling like I'm not sure if I'll live another day or die." The desert did a number on us, our minds and our bodies. Dean still looks burned and I know that I do too, but not as bad as we did. Whatever's in the soap is at least helping us, somewhat.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Ella, okay? I won't let that happen." His eyes are burning into my own, and I don't want to look away. I can't, and I have to ask him why he's like this with me, why he seems to care.

"Why do you care about me, Dean? Weeks ago you hated my guts and now you claim to care about me, and you want to protect me. Why? I'm a human, I don't have part Norovian in me, I'm full blooded mammal, and you know that. I haven't changed overnight, I'm not from a different planet. I'm Ella Henderson, from the small town of Cheyenne, that is mostly annoying, and survived this asteroid that has taken so many lives. I survived and your family didn't. You survived, and my family didn't. Why, Dean? And if you tell me it's just because I'm part of the team, so help me God I'll punch you in the face." Dean sort of laughs at my choice of words, before composing himself, remembering that where we are we can't make much noise or we'll be caught.

"Yes, you're annoying. Yes, you're full blooded human. Yes, you're from this silly Earth. Yes, you survived. You're all of that--being annoying is on occasions, though, but we're all annoying at times--" he teases, and I roll my eyes. "But, what I've found out throughout all of this, is that I was wrong about you. You're not just another human, and I've seen that throughout this expedition, or journey, or whatever you want to call it. I've once told you that there may be some Norovian in you, and I still think there may be. Just because you're a human doesn't mean you can't have some of us in you. I'd like to think I have some human in me, even just a bit." I never thought Dean and I would be friends, I never imagined us getting along, I never even imagined us talking civilly with one another for a second, let alone how long we've been talking and getting along. He's my best friend, and now I'm wondering if I'm his as well. He's not wrapped around my finger, we just finally get along.

"Are you saying I'm your friend?" I ask, trying to keep a straight face.

"And what would you say if I told you yes?" He questions, and I notice his body has moved closer to mine.

"I would say that you're my friend too," I whisper, hoping that this is all now figured out. I don't want to be enemies, I don't want to argue or fight, I want to be civil towards one another, I want to be friends, and ever since knowing Dean, I never thought I'd want that.

"Good," he mutters, and I realize how fast my heart beat is beating, and that's when I notice him leaning in towards me, his yellow eyes staring at my lips, and I can't help but close my eyes, waiting for his lips to meet mine. Dean Schloric is going to kiss me, and I'm not telling him no. I'm not pushing him away, and I should be. We're just friends, we've just confirmed that we're friends. I don't like him in any other way. Nevertheless, I still don't back away, I only wait.

His lips never meet mine.

"What are you guys doing?" A familiar voice asks, snapping both of us back to Earth, and I open my eyes just as Dean backs up. "It's lights out," Hunter announces to us, before looking back and forth between Dean and me, an unreadable expression on his face.

"We're trying to find answers," Dean begins, his voice slightly harsh. "No one else will give them to us, so we're going to find them ourselves."

"Maybe, they don't give them to you for a reason," Hunter replies just as harsh, and I find myself pushing his body away from Dean's.

"Stop it, this isn't a place to sit around and pick a fight," I sigh, wishing they'd control their temper. Why are they even upset anyway? "Hunter," I begin as I turn my attention to him. "What's going on here? Please tell us," I beg, not caring how desperate I sound, for I am desperate.

"I can't tell you, El," he sighs, his attention finally on me. "It's classified."

"Remember when your mother or father would tell you not to tell anyone, and you always told me anyway? Your parents were more important then this military base, so please, tell me." I didn't want to bring up his parents, but it's true. He has no reason to keep this from me, none whatsoever.

"This is different, Ella," he mutters, and I'm beginning to wonder if Dean is wrong, if there isn't any of my Hunter left inside of his body.

"What did they do to you?" I dryly laugh. "We were always in it together, you always told me everything no matter what, why now? When I think my life and the lives of my friends are in danger, and I want to find out answers to assure us that we're not, and you tell me you can't tell me?" I want to scream at him, I want to hit him. No one tells us answers, and he comes across us, and I thought that he would. I thought that he would be open with me like he used too, but I guess three weeks really does change a person.

"This is not like those times," he begins, his voice frustrated. "This isn't information that I can just throw around, you have to know that."

"That doesn't matter. They took my name and numbered me, I'm a part of this now, whether you like it or not. Tell me what's going on." I don't think he's going to tell me, the idea of getting sent back to our rooms empty handed--especially since we haven't even looked anywhere, only decided that Dean and I were friends--makes me sick.

"If I tell you, you have to keep it a secret, okay?" I open my mouth, but I can't find it in me to promise that. I can't keep this information from Carol and Mark, it's just not right.

"Promise," Dean answers for me, and I look over at him, a certain look in his eye, and I can't help but silently thank him. He knew I couldn't promise that, and I knew that Dean wasn't fond of lying, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Friend or not, I can't keep this information from Mark and Carol, they deserve to know this just as much as we do and the rest of the base.

"Okay. The Guards are trying to make a super race, you could call it," Hunter begins, and Dean stiffens next to me. "They want to cross the humans and Norovians, hoping that a new species will rise, a new species that is both smarter and more powerful then either species it was created from." I didn't know what to expect when he was going to tell me what was going on, but one thing I never expected, was to hear that they wanted to create a super race. Alien and human, is that even possible?

"Cross? They're going to cross us with humans? Does that even sound like a good idea? How do they plan on doing that? Huh? Because from the way you're acting, it's not the natural way of cross breeding." I want to say something, to give my own question, but I can't find my voice. I'm too stunned to talk.

"No, it's not the natural way. But that's all I'm telling you, I'm scheduled to a meeting in five minutes, and I can't be late. Remember what I said, keep this to yourself, and get back to your rooms before you get caught," he warns, before leaving without saying goodbye.

"This is bad, especially since we don't know how they're going to do it," Dean mumbles under his breath as he begins to walk back to my room.

"If they did cross the humans and Norovians naturally," I begin, finding my voice. "Would it...work?" I didn't want to seem like I wanted to be crossed with a Norovian, but I'm wondering if it would work.

"I don't know," he replies as he looks over at me. "No Norovian has ever loved a human." His voice is soft and quiet, more quieter then when we were whispering, and I can't read the expression on his face. I then wonder if he was in love with a human, before, if maybe she was his significant other.

"Were you in love with a human?" I ask, hoping he won't shut down and get upset with me asking such a personal question.

"It doesn't matter, Ella," he mutters, his voice on edge.

"We're friends now, Dean, we can tell each other things. We even told each other things when we weren't friends," I smile, hoping that will make him feel better.

"She never loved me," Dean says quickly, as he stops walking. "She never even liked me, I disappointed her too much. I liked her, and I ruined it, because I was selfish. I never loved her, though. So, no, Ella, I was never in love with a human before." He starts walking again, and I just stand there for a few more moments, trying to process what he's telling me.

"What's her name?" I ask, wondering if I knew her.

"Ella, don't, please?" He begs, and I decide to drop it. Why would it matter what her name was? She could have died from the asteroid, and all I'm doing is bringing up painful memories that still stings.

I still wonder who she is, though, and if I knew her and if she was nice and if we would have gotten along if I had known her. She was a lucky girl, for Dean's a good guy, he just has to show it. The Dean I've gotten to know, is the true Dean, and it's a good a Dean.

We eventually reach my room, neither of us talking the rest of the time, until I open the door and feel Dean's hand on my arm. I turn around to face him, keeping my palm on the doorknob. "Yeah?" I say, wondering what he wants.

"Can I stay with you?" He asks, and it's the last thing I thought would come from his mouth.

"Yes," I say, before even thinking about it. I need a friend, a friend to be here as I think over what Hunter's told us. A friend that understands me, one that knows me, one that I know can comfort me. It's funny, two years of arguing and pushing each other's buttons, and here we are, lying next to each other on my bed, knowing that we're there for one another. It's nice, to get along with him. I only wished we'd done it earlier, and without the influence of an asteroid.

"Goodnight, Ella," he whispers next to me.

"Goodnight, Dean," I whisper back, as I feel his fingers lace with my own. I smile as I close my eyes and hold his hand, not caring if sleep comes quickly or not.