"Welcome back," Sam was sitting with his long legs curled up underneath him as Krista and Rosa entered. His eyes were closed and his whiskers twitched as the women drew closer. "I'm afraid you've just missed Artemis. She's locked herself up in one of the hyperbolic chambers for the rest of the day."

"Did she tell you how it all went?" Rosa sighed as she slipped her earpiece out.

"Does she ever?"

"Turns out the doc was with Maximoff. But she doesn't believe it's against his will."

"No?"

"She thinks they're in love. She says she saw it in their auras."

"I take it you do not agree?"

Krista saw the conflict on Rosa's face as the woman shook her head. "I don't know, I just... Have this gut feeling."

"I have always taught you to trust your gut, have I not?"

"Yeah... But Missy was real convinced..."

"Well, perhaps you are misinterpreting your 'gut feeling,' is there any other reason you can see for it? Perhaps Max's magic was disrupting your ability?"

"Maybe..." Rosa chewed her lips and Sam opened his eyes, turning them on Krista.

"And you, how did you find your first case?"

"Kind of... Anti-climactic." Krista shrugged.

"You will find that the majority of our cases are." Sam slowly nodded his head. "However, the ones that aren't can truly make up for that."

"Hey, Sam, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Oh my, look at the time!" Rosa glanced at her watch. "My stories are about to start." She exited the room with a wink to Krista.

"You want to know more about my strange appearance." Krista noticed that Sam and Rosa both shared the tendency to phrase their questions in the form of a statement.

"Well... Yeah. I mean, I've been living here for two weeks and I haven't learned anything about you. You know almost everything about me... So, spill it. You gotta gimme something to keep me trusting you."

Sam slowly nodded his head again and made an unintelligible sound that reminded Krista of Martu. It made her shiver.

"I am what you humans would call 'an alien.'"

Krista's jaw dropped.

"Don't be so shocked, young one. You have more control over your molecular composition than any creature I have ever met, and I have travelled much farther than you can imagine. Our friend Artemis can perceive and, with some effort, manipulate the auras of other living beings. Rosa communes with her higher self in a way that is almost an art form. Yet you question the validity of my claims?"

"So... If you're really an alien... Why are you here?"

"My people have been watching your planet very closely for generations."

"Why?"

"All in due time, my student. We cannot rush this kind of information."

Krista huffed. She wanted more but she knew Sam wouldn't keep talking if she pressed him. "Fine... We're all entitled to a few secrets."

"Now... you were going to ask about my other student."

Krista wanted to be shocked that Sam already knew what was coming, but surprise was a dwindling experience in her life as of late. "Okay, yeah, I was. Who's your other student?"

"He is quite the promising young mind. Though, in accordance with earth's timeline he is not at all young."

"Who is he?" Krista wished Missy was around to quell her growing sense of panic.

"I believe you've met him before. His name is Martu."

With that, a door across the room swung open and there he was. Her attacker. He was standing tall with his curved staff in one hand.

"No way!" Krista backed up. She felt her esophagus closing.

"He is a time traveller, unfortunately it seems as though he has over shot his destination by a couple thousand of your earth years."

"This guy tried to rape me! Do you understand that? Do they have rape on your planet?"

"Actually my people are genderless, we reproduce entirely asexually."

"Rape has nothing to do with reproduction!"

Martu stepped closer and Krista faded away. She filled the room and Martu began searching for her. He communicated with Sam in his strange language and Sam said, "Krista, please, this young man did not intend you any harm. He is from a different time, he didn't understand that what he did was wrong, but he does now."

"Ha!" Krista allowed her mouth, lungs and larynx to materialize close to the ceiling. "That guy is nuts! I refuse to be in the same room as him. Hell, I refuse to be in the same century! You said he's a time traveller, send him back where he came from!"

"We have been trying." Sam still did not move from his cross legged position on the floor as he spoke, which infuriated Krista for some reason. "I believe his abilities are too limited to travel back so far."

"How did he get here in the first place then?"

"That is what we are trying to figure out. In preparation for your reunion I have taught Martu a bit of English." Sam looked at the man with anticipation in his eyes.

"Martu... Is... So--... Sorry." The ancient man sputtered. "Kris-ta give food, warm milk. Make Martu very happy."

"So you just thought, 'aw hell, this girl was so nice to me I guess I'll just take advantage of her.' Is that it?"

Krista saw Martu stare back at Sam with confusion marring his face.

"Krista, in the society Martu comes from, when a woman extends such kindnesses it is... Well it is sometimes looked at as an invitation--"

"Oh, so I deserved what I got, huh? Real original argument!"

"I am not saying you 'deserved' anything. I am simply asking you to look at the situation from Martu's perspective. He has expressed genuine grief over his actions, he did not fully understand the situation."

"Yeah, well, I don't give a shit."

"Martu... Sorry." The time traveller stared up at Krista's mouth and she could see his regret.

"Look, I don't fucking care. Just keep that freak away from me."

"Can I assume that means you will be staying with us, then?" Sam asked and she saw his strange smile.

"Only because I wanna help you send that fucker back to the stinking cave he crawled out of. I don't wanna see him hurt anyone else, not in my time period."

"Krista, this is excellent news."

"No, it's not. Just cause I'm staying doesn't mean I'm happy about it. You already made me give up my old life. Where would I go if I left now?"

"You have not done any damage in your old life which cannot be undone."

"Yeah, well, if Conan there tries to touch me again, then we won't have to worry about finding a way to send him home because I'll use these fancy new powers to fill him up with so much of me he'll rip open and spill his guts all over your nice shiny floors!"

Krista propelled her molecules from the room, leaving Sam and Martu behind. She materialized at Rosa's side, tears already pouring down her face.

"I'm sorry," Rosa said, "I wanted to tell you sooner. Honestly, I can't believe you never figured it out on your own."

"He's been here this entire time?"

Rosa looked away. "For what it's worth, I genuinely believe Marty has no interest in hurting you."

"Marty? He even gets an affectionate nickname?"

"He's sweet... Just take some time to get to know him. I know you saw his good side too."

Krista remembered the curious and simple man Martu seemed to be when she first met him on the street.

"You're staying though, right? Like... Even though he's here with us?"

"Well... Yeah." Krista sighed. "What other option do I have?"

"Oh, Krista!" Rosa threw her arms around her and she didn't want to admit how much she enjoyed it. "I'm so happy! You were so awesome today!"

"Really?" Krista tried not to smile. "You think so?"

"Absolutely! And once you and Marty are seeing eye to eye I bet you guys could be great friends."

"Don't push it." Krista pulled away from Rosa.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just... I'm so happy you're here with us."

"Yeah..." Despite the growing sense of dread surrounding Martu's sudden reappearance in her life, Krista had to bite her lip to suppress the smile creeping across her face. "I think I am too..."