Kweide-

The moment they had returned to their room that night he had expected to sleep. Perhaps have a small discussion before they rested, as had become customary between them. Instead, he had to hold her as she sobbed into his chest. Holding onto him so tightly he could only wonder if she was hurting herself.  "What is wrong Skylar?"

She cried a little longer, shaking her head before she spoke, "everything!" 

Then she cried some more and he held her until there was nothing left of her distress to show. What could have bothered her so much for her to be so overwhelmed like this? His hands rubbed soothing circles on her back as he pondered the dilemma. "Was Kayla's condition worsened when you left?"

She wiped at her eyes and grabbed for the cloth he procured for her, "No... she just, she told me that she's not coming home with me. She's staying." Skylar wiped her face of the snot and tears that she could.

Kweide continued trying to soothe her but he kept his mouth clamped shut. How could he comfort her?  As she eventually calmed down into sleep he lay awake thinking. He mulled over the novelty of a new thought that had snuggled it's way into his brain. He, wanted Skylar to stay too. 

He looked down at her sleeping form. His vision was blurring a little more now than it had been a moon ago but he could still see her face tucked into his side. She finally looked at peace. His clawed digit gently glided over her cheek to push her hair away from her face. 

He couldn't help but wonder, was it possible she would she would miss him?

————

"Kweide?"

He looked up from the leather he was tying together and set it down. "Yes Skylar?"

"I found something under the-" she paused, eyes widening as she tilted her head, "what's that?"

He looked away as he moved the item beneath a spare fur, "it is the stuffed creature... for Kayla."

"A teddy bear?" Skylar walked closer and set an oddly shaped metal object on the bed as she picked up the barely recognizable toy. "Why?" He couldn't quite explain it, but he could see something different in her eyes as she waited for him to answer. Something soft but also...yearning. There was a right answer to her question. But what was it?

"I..." he hesitated, careful as he picked each word, "I wished for her to recover and you told me about the bear she liked so I... made her another one. I thought it might-". He stopped talking. This was a bad idea. He felt foolish now as he tried to take it from her grasp.

"Go on," She held the bear tighter and he lowered his hand. It wasn't like he'd pry it from her if she didn't give it back.

There was a moment of silence, "-I thought it might help. Somehow." He mandibles flexed in annoyance when she didn't say anything. Why ask him? He turned to her, expecting to see humor on her face or maybe nothing at all. Instead he saw her smiling at him so tenderly that his heart began thundering in his chest. "It was all I knew I could do."

"It's enough," Skylar replied. He watched as she stepped closer and placed it back into his hand. "I know she'll appreciate it." Her small fingers reached up and gently tilted his face towards hers.

What was she doing?

He sat still like a statue as she leaned down and kissed Kweide's mandible and then his cheek. Like a fire dying brought back to roaring life he felt a strange sort of heat flood his body. Intense and seemingly from nowhere. He turned to look at her better but she was already pulled back, reaching for her strange device despite the fact he could hear her heart thumping abnormally.

"Let's take some photos!" Skylar smiled at him and he put his questions to rest for the moment.

"How?" He tilted his head.

"Just stay still and be ready for the flash!" She giggled as she held up the box and clicked. There was a bright light and then a whirring sound as a small white and black object slid out of the device.

"What is that?" He reached for it.

"A polaroid, this'll be a photo in a few minutes!" She placed it in the dark area of the room. "I'll show you when we're done."

"I shall remember," he nodded as he let her pose him.

"I'm sure you will, now, where's Ferdinand?"

He let his mandible click with aggravation at the name of the alien she still kept around. The pesky creature stayed with her like a pet although he knew it to be more intelligent than anyone gave it credit for.

A soft coo came from the corner and Skylar lifted it into her arms like a pup, nuzzling it's pale pink face. "There he is! Hold him for me please" She passed him over and Kweide took him although they both looked at each other warily.

"Pose nicely, this is for Skylar." He kept his voice low as she backed up and lifted the device to her face again. He got a soft screechy growl in reply but they both straightened and faced her.

"Perfect!" She smiled and one click later another photo was out in her hands. It went on like that for some time, click after click of them separate and then together with Skylar planting a kiss onto Ferdinand while Kweide took the photo. All until she looked at her device and stopped. "Oh we need a group photo!"

He scooted to the right as Skylar set up her camera across from them on the shelves before plopping down. "It'll countdown for about a minute so let's hurry," she giggled and placed Ferdinand in her lap as she leaned against Kweide's arm.

"Skylar," he waited for her to look and when she did he stuck out his tongue quickly. By the time the flash went off he was still looking at her, albeit without his tongue out, and she was curled up with laughter, eyes squeezed shut. This was the photo he wanted when it dried. If she was leaving he wanted to be able to see that look on her face until his vision was gone. He wanted her to be the last thing he saw no matter what. "Can I have that one?"

She choked down her laughs and gave him a confused look, "but the shots gonna look all weird?"

"You looked very relaxed," he shrugged.

"It's yours then," she smiled and picked up the camera and photo. "I've got one shot left, you want to take it with me?"

Kweide shook his head, "not yet. You should save it until after you become blooded. Then we may take another photo together." He looked forward to that time. She would do well as a warrior... but it would also mean she would be leaving. Going back to her father. He wanted that for her, for her to be safe and reunited with him. He just wished it would not mean they would be parted too.

Kweide stood, "Skylar I must go speak to the Elder. You should go and eat dinner, I'll meet you there." 

She nodded, "sure, see you soon?" Her arms still curled around Ferdinand as she made her way to the door.

"Soon," he touched her shoulder.

There was something he could do right then that might help solve both of their problems.

————

The Elder's meeting room door was closed. The entrance taunted him as he debated turning back or going forward. He had to decide at this moment if he was willing to face what would arise from the conversation he needed to have with his superior.

Before he could make up his mind either way the door slid open and he came face to face with his Elder in question. "Kweide?" The older warrior narrowed his gaze as he looked down at him. "Do you need to speak with me?"

Kweide bowed his head in respect, "yes Elder." He soothed the air between them quickly, he needed Elder Luar-ke to know he still honored the warrior in front of him despite their recent... disagreements.

"Then you may come in," Elder Luar-ke stepped away and sat down in his chair at the head of the table. "What do you need to say?"

Kweide chose the seat opposite of his, it would be better to speak at a common height. "It is about Skylar,"

The room grew tense again as Elder Luar-ke tilted his head, hands folding together, "go on".

"Kayla has decided to stay with the clan," he looked down, "Skylar seems to still wish to leave."

Elder Luar-ke's shoulders sagged, eyes focused elsewhere, "there is nothing either of us can do about that. When she has earned blooded status she will be free to leave as she sees fit."

"I know," Kweide amended, "but what if ... I were go with her."

Elder Luar-ke's gaze traveled back to Kweide, "you cannot live on earth Kweide, none of our kind can." He shook his head, "humans are a varying species but those in power are nothing like Skylar or Kayla, they will not show you mercy nor her. It is best to leave her to make her decision alone."

"I could live in hiding there-"

Elder Luar-ke aimed an icy glare at the table, "the moment she returns they will interrogate her and try to pry every detail from her mind that they can. The only way we can ensure her ability to go back to a normal life is to prepare her to lie and to never involved ourselves with her again." His fists clenched, "their leaders would hurt her, they would not hesitate. I have seen countlessly horrible things... I would not dare endanger her with even their suspicion."

Kweide remained quiet. All Yautja heard story after story about humans, both good and bad and glorious. He knew enough stories to know that some humans would do anything for knowledge. Skylar would just be a means to an end. "What if she stayed with me then? Away from the clan. Just her father, me, and her."

"You would settle on one of our territories without the support of the clan?" He let out a sharp click of disbelief.

"She would likely be more open to accept that offer. There is nothing to lose and more safety." It was likely she would be unhappy with clan life but he could make her any life she wanted, build it for her on any territory she deemed suitable. She could have everything that she could not decide between.

"She would be with you," Elder Luar-ke leaned into his arms, "how is that safety?"

Kweide burned with indignation, he could barely breathe past it, "what are you implying?"

"I imply nothing Kweide, I am telling you that it is unwise and most definitely not safe for her." Elder Luar-ke's voice was a low growl as the scent of both their agitations filled the room.

He stiffened and tilted his head, "then what is safe for Skylar? If not our clan or I then her own people that you admit will stop at nothing to know about us?" He leaned forward, "how is that safety?"

Elder Luar-ke leaned back, spine straight and eyes piercing, "there is no true safety in this life and we will be honest with Skylar about her options. You are not one of them." Kweide opened his mouth to protest and the Elder slammed his hand on the table. "Have you thought about how she would take care of herself  and her father on a foreign planet?"

"I would provide for them!" Kweide's voice was dangerously close to a growl.

"For how long?" He retorted.

Kweide's nails dug into the table, "as long as they lived."

"Do you think you have that long?" Elder Luar-ke looked down at him, "you are going sightless Kweide, how long until you cannot provide for them anymore? How long before you become theirs to care for?"

Kweide reached up and took off his mask, setting the clawed piece down before pushing it across the table , "I would not let myself become a burden. Should my sight go I would face a warrior's death as any Yautja would."

Elder Luar'ke stared at him with his hands now clasped together. After several quiet moments he spoke again, "She is capable as a hunter Kweide but to isolate her would deny her medical support and her father is likely aging, she would be forced into a hard life without you there to shoulder that weight. And, if she were to want to have pups... what would you do then? Would you still face a warrior's death if she asked you not to?"

Kweide met his eyes, he could see his leader's logic, he could understand that there were negatives to choosing to stay alone with him. But those last questions... if she wanted pups, if she wanted him, would he keep his oath to the clan and deny her? Or as always... would he end up bending. He knew that he made that oath with Elder Luar-ke with good reason but for once in his life, Kweide hated him for it.

Elder Luar-ke began to assess him with a scrutinizing gaze and suddenly certain of something he had seen his hands splayed across the table as his eyes turned both calm and dangerous. "She deserves a good life Kweide, are you prepared to fight to give that to her?"

Kweide nodded, "It is why I came to speak with you".

"Then we will see how useful to her you will prove to be," Elder Luar-ke stood and rounded the table with the mask outstretched to him. "If you can beat me Kweide, you can offer that life to her. Prove yourself, show you are not giving her empty promises. Is it agreed?"

Kweide stood and took the mask from him, his own slightly milky blue gaze grew sharper as the anger cooled itself into steel. "Agreed".