unfair

Brady Shaw wasn't much of a date.

Jess watched him disappeared in a gap of missing fence. Lanie looked at her and Jess shrugged. She wasn't so worry about sneaking into a place, she was more worried about her ass fitting through that tiny opening.

"I'll go first."

She knew Julian wasn't thrilled about this, but she also knew he'd do it. Because he knew she would, and there was no way he'd let her do this on her own. "Good idea. If you get stuck, I'll know it's a bad plan."

He went through but it wasn't easy. Her and Laney followed only to find they had to go through the next fence as well. This one led to a small yard that was three sides of metal fence.

"We could probably jimmy the lock, but we don't so that no one knows the place has been messed with." His explanation came with a grin then he got on his knees and went through the doggy door.

Julian's look suggested he blamed her for this as he followed the rock star.

Who would have thunk it? If you have told her a month ago, that she would be climbing through a doggy door to get to Brady Shaw she would have... well to be honest, it wasn't that farfetched.

"I don't normally do this kind of stuff. My dads would have a heart attack. I had to tell them I had an extra class today."

Laney was very pretty in a quiet, shy way. Even the glasses were super cute.

It was obvious that the other girl hated lying to her dads. "Hey, I get it. What wouldn't a girl do to get to Brady Shaw?"

She blushed. Pushed her glasses up her nose and got down on her hands and knees.

"I just hope he's not some kind of sick nut who's found a place to hide our bodies. That would kind of break my heart."

When Laney would have crawled back out, Jess gave her backside a push to get her headed back in the right direction. "He'd be worth it so keep moving."

Julian helped them to their feet, but Brady had already moved on.

The only light in this room was the light coming from the doggy door. The windows were boarded up.

"Ice box's full. Come through once you've grabbed a drink."

After seeing the ice box, she would have married Brady Shaw and had his babies. If Laney didn't beat her to the punch.

She grabbed the last orange crush like it was the crown jewels. Jess pitted the fool who would think about reaching for it. Shy girl had claws. She slapped Julian's hand away.

Laughing, at her friend's shocked look, she reached around him for a beer.

Julian took it and replaced it with a coke. She would rather a coke, she just liked getting his dander up.

She already had half of it drunk when she stepped through the door.

"Jess, come meet everyone. This big hairy guy is Chris. Bad ass drummer. This is Ruff. Keyboards and a hell of a rapper." He pointed over his shoulder. "My brother is the one with his head in the newspaper. He made me pick up everyone we could find from Atlanta to St. Louis."

They guy in question raised an arm in greeting. He was a slightly older version of his brother. Only better looking if that was possible.

She only had eyes for the set up behind them. There was a mic stand. Drums and keyboard. And four of the best-looking guitars she'd ever seen in her life.

It was a night club of sorts. A bar and some bar stools. A dance floor. Tables. An area with some couches and chairs.

"We think it was an old recording studio." He grinned. "Soundproof walls. What instrument? I knew the minute I saw you that it was in your blood too."

She'd died and gone to heaven. "Guitar and keys."

"She has a voice too. She's just a bit of a chicken."

Julian was so dying when they got home. A slow painful death.

"Johnny, tell her what you told me when I had stage fright?"

"Shut the fuck up and sing." He never even looked up.

"That's your inspiration?"

His teeth were pearly white. "Yep. Don't know what I'd do without him. So, shut the fuck up and sing."

It felt nice to have a guitar back in her hands. Ever since Danny first got sick, she's been denying herself this feeling of peace that moved through her. Guess she's been punishing herself.

For being healthy when he wasn't.

Most people would have been nervous playing in front of such a genius like Brady but as soon as the Gibson was in her hands, she forgot about everything else.

She could see they were all impressed.

"You know guitar battle?"

Epic piece that only the pros could play flawlessly. "You don't take it easy on the newbie, do you?"

Huff played a familiar melody on his keys. "If you can't handle, we could stick to some nursery rhymes."

She made him eat those words.

"You're a natural, baby."

Chris was a big guy. Looked mean as hell but he had big, nice doe eyes. One look and you knew he was a big softy.

"Call me that again, Bambi and you're going to eat this Gibson. Well, maybe not the Gibson. Julian, give me your shoe."

They played for hours and Julian and Laney were content to watch.

Afterwards Julian had to drag her home because her head was too high in the clouds to find her own way. She'd just spent the evening rocking out with Brady Shaw. She didn't even mind that they'd missed dinner.

"Okay, fan girl. Snap out of it. Want to shoot some baskets before we go in?"

"I suppose I owe you."

He wasn't strong enough to withstand her puppy dog look. "Go on in. Make sure you save me some hot water."

"Always."

"Jess, it was good to see you playing again."

"It was good to play again. Love you."

"Love you."

As soon as Mel was fast asleep, Julian in the shower, and Savion and Kell had already come and gone, she went to her room and took off her wrist band. "I'm alive and well. Just don't need you in my business."

She slipped out the window. There was a small balcony and getting from there to the roof top was no small feat.

Julian would have a stroke if he knew what she was doing.

This roof was steeper than hers at home and navigating to the top even worried her a few times.

She sat and stared up at the stars, or at least the spaceship that blocked out the stars. Only then did her tears fall. She ignored the presence that showed up only a few moments later.

Couldn't a girl get five minutes to herself? Embarrassed she ran her hand over her face and hoped he would take the hint and not mention it. "I told him I was fine."

"He did not believe you."

"Well I am, so run along."

It was clear he wasn't going to do that. Her eyes teared again. "I had a really good day."

"So, you cry?"

"I don't cry. Ever. Remember that."

"Why are you up here not crying if you had a good day?"

"Because it was a good day, and they aren't here. I would do anything to have them here." She dried her face. "How did you find me?"

For a long while he did nothing. Said nothing, then he sighed. "I do not understand a lot of things that are happening to me."

"Tell me about it." She muttered under her breath.

"I travel by thinking of the place I want to be. Without a clear picture of it I cannot do it. That is why I slipped over here one day and went through all your rooms. Which did not include your roof top. One minute I was in my room then I was here. I am not sure how."

"What were you thinking when it happened?"

His eyes met hers. "I am not sure about that either. My thoughts are confusing. I do not understand them, nor am I sure that I like them."

"Again, I'm right there with you."

"I was thinking about you. I believe I was worried for you."
She ignored the cartwheels her stomach was doing.

"You've worried before, right? About coming here? About not finding mates."

"Yes." He admitted. "But somehow it is different. It was not a fleeting thought."

"What was it?"

"It was like a weight sitting on my chest."

"And earlier today?"

Jess could see him searching for the right words.

"I am not sure. I felt . . . .dangerous."

"Wanted to throttle me, huh?"

"Am I somehow picking up on how you are feeling without even being near you?"

"Don't know. That wouldn't explain tonight though. Why would I worry about myself? I knew exactly where I was."

"Could it be someone else's?"

She jumped on that like it was a lifeline and she was on the titanic. "You could be. You said in some cases you could feel when a mate was in need?"

"A few cases. Whatever is happening it is not just happening to me. There are other reports. One who is mated and one who is not."

"What about Savion?"

"No. He is behaving normally. He makes sure of her well-being out of instinct not a need."

"I've heard more than once that when mated two people can't be away from each other for too long. What exactly happens?"

"I have not experience it or even witness it, but it is supposed to be quite painful. You cannot eat or sleep. You cannot function."

"What if someone's mate dies?"

"Then the other would die a short time later. They make the journey to the afterlife together."

"That is pretty deep for a race of people who don't have emotions."

"The bond is strong."

"So, you keep saying. You know, Kell, all that is how it was when you were bounded to others just like you. Who knows how it will be bounded to stupid humans who let their emotions rule them. Maybe it's not you picking up on someone else's feelings. Maybe you're getting your own."

"That is not possible."

"You know what else isn't possible?" She pointed up to the sky.

They sat in silence for a long time. The night sky sucked. There was no wind whatsoever. Yet she was enjoying being up here with him.

She shouldn't be. Anyone else caught her crying, she'd be hiding a body right now. Then there was the tension between them that seemed to be growing daily. And not sexual tension. Not entirely.

He seemed to rub her the wrong way; he pushed all kinds of her buttons but for this moment in time she was glad he found her.

It made no sense and she'd never admit it out loud. "I miss the stars. Miss looking at them and not knowing what is out there."

"I could move it."

"Park it down the street?"

"It has an invisible shield. I could have Dezrick put it in place."

"Nah. No sense in pretending everything is normal. You said there was another alien planet close to yours? Any others?"

"Sure. Seven that we know of. Most too far away to be too worrisome. Our neighbors are unpleasant but not all that smart. We stay two steps ahead of them. The Ratkilgon are even more unpleasant. The Drangours are all about war. Hugh, tough skinned people. It will be light years before we must worry about them. The ah'sa'ha, your little green men, are not fighters but they are entirely too curious. They want to study everything. They do not mind losing a few subjects in the name of science."

"All those who swore they'd been kidnapped by aliens were telling the truth?"

"That would be just like them. There was a time when they tried that on us, that was before our shields."

"The asses."

"Drucoolies are advance. They look like ah'sa'ah but taller and grey. They are like us and choose to live in peace. Well, not exactly like us. We will fight when we must. Not the Drucoolies. They will die before taking up arms against someone. Zon and Vrenon are not much different than your planet. Almost exactly the same except for a gap in evolution. Zon is more advance and Vrenon, I would compare to what you know as cavemen. That was the first planet we visit. We thought they would be impressed with what we could offer them."

"And they weren't?"

"They were too scared to be impressed. They were ready to give up and roll over."
"Isn't that what we've done so far?"

"Not at all. You are just smart enough to know this relationship is beneficial to both of us."

"Do you think if you came along and we weren't sick, you would have stopped?"

"Doubt it. Your planet was one of the planets we viewed as too dangerous."

"Then you would have cruised right on by and found others to bug with all this mating stuff. Your Miss Perfect could still be out there. Just think, someone who doesn't try and fire you up. One that isn't late all the time."

"You are not late all the time. You just spend most of your time trying to avoid me."

"Well, there is that."

"Yesterday I let you have your experiment. Tonight, I would like to conduct one of my own."

"It's much too late for that. Maybe________."

She knew he wasn't sitting that close a moment ago. She knew because she couldn't think when he was this close.

When he leaned closer, she froze. Payback was a bitch.

Damn if she couldn't remember to breathe. Kid learned quick.

He was close. His eyes on her. Taking in every feature. There was no way he wasn't noticing the effect he was having on her.

He wasn't touching her. She'd been smart enough not to look his way so that he couldn't do that thing he did with his eyes, but damn if she didn't fall under his spell anyway. So, she did what she always did. She would face it head on. Or that was her plan. She felt him shift closer, knew he was about to touch her. The thought of his hand on her face was more than she could handle right now.

She jumped up in a panic. Then she really knew what panic was because she slipped. There was nothing to even tried to grab for. The only thing left to do is wonder how many broken bones she was going to have. That was assuming the fall didn't kill her. Which was a real possibility since she felt like she was falling forever.

Even once she felt his arms around her, she felt like she was falling.

His arms were strong and held her easily. His heart was racing beneath her cheek and dear lord, he smelled just as good as he had yesterday.

She hadn't wanted to know his touch but now that she did there was no reason to run from it. She had no plans of leaving his arms any time soon when she noticed that he trembled. His whole body shook. His eyes held panic.

"What did you do?"

Sighing, she wiggled. When he didn't get the hint, she ordered him to put her down. "You'll have to be clearer. Are we talking about me rubbing your cheek with mine or me falling for you?"