(note: OHH wrote one of the scenes in this chapter, three guesses which :p)

Luke sat in the palm of Aisell’s hand as they made the journey from the Great Tree back to the house. A journey that would normally be daunting and dangerous and that had nearly killed him a few times could be made in just a few short minutes with nary a fruit fly to bother him. The world was totally different from up here, and not just because of the viewing angle. He felt totally safe and at ease. He’d learned over his many months with the tribe to keep his wits about him. Every sound, every little movement he’d grown used to sensing, processing and deciding what to do with that information. Up here there was just the sway of Aisell’s walk and the sound of dirt crunching under her boots. He had to admit, he missed being safe outdoors. Even if it was at the expense of some freedom.

He also had to admit that there was a reason he was sitting in her palm facing the direction of travel having an existential conversation with himself rather than turning to face his friend. At least he thought friend was the right word. There were many words he could use from right across the spectrum. Casual acquaintance?  Person he knew a while back? Kidnapper? Lover?

He worked up the courage to turn and look over his shoulder. The light was getting low. Aisell was looking straight ahead, her neck stiff as if she was deliberately focusing on not looking somewhere. It was hard to tell in the low light but every other second or so as the dying light split the trees he could just make out the thin stream of tears dripping down her face.

“Aisell, I…”

“Nu uh” She shook her head and sniffed without looking down at him.

He turned back feeling slightly sick. He knew this was his fault. She’d saved him, many times in fact, cared for him and done her best to make him happy and he’d repaid her by abandoning her. He’d been gone for months even by her measure. She’d been a mess before he’d been taken and god only knows what state she’d been in after.

Luke continued to stew in his guilt as Aisell entered the house and made for the kitchen to get the first aid kit. Again, helping him when she could have just left him to suffer. She walked to the table and set her upturned palm down on the surface. Without a word he stepped off and she disappeared into a cupboard and returned with the box of the farm’s medical equipment.

“Roll up your trouser leg.” She said flatly taking out an almost phone like device with a shiny end and powering up the screen.

Luke did as he was bid and sat with his leg spread out in front of him and pulled up his trouser leg. Aisell sat in the chair in front, tapping on the device. He tried to focus on his foot but his eyes wandered up. She’d stopped crying but her eyes were clearly red and had the distinct post crying bags underneath them. He quickly snapped his eyes back to his foot as her eyes looked up. It had been a good twelve hours since he’d turned up on her doorstep but this was the first time things were settled. This was the first time it was just them. He desperately did not want to make eye contact with her.

The device hummed and Aisell passed it over him.

“What are you doing?” He worked up the courage to ask.

“I can’t fix you until I know what I’m fixing…” she said.

“Okay.” Luke nodded.

The device beeped and Aisell examined it.

“Your leg is a mess, but fixable.” She reached into the box and took out another device and unfolded it into an upside down U-shape, setting it on the table in front of him. “Put your leg under.” She said tapping on the first device.

Again Luke did as he was asked and sat uncomfortably. After a minute or so there was a loud click that made him jump as the alien device glowed bright orange underneath, firing seemingly random beams of light at his leg.

“This is an ossicle, it can fix small breaks. Fingers and such. It should work on your leg but it isn’t set well. This will likely be a painful few minutes.” She said setting the first device down and resting her chin in her palm.

Luke nodded and sat listening to the hum and looking up to the underside of Aisell’s face. She was right. It started as just uncomfortable, it felt like someone was trying to push his leg in both directions at once and then it did get to be a bit sore. He set his jaw and prepared for the pain to get worse.

“Do you have any idea what I went through?” Aisell’s voice shuddered slowly to life. She sniffed again and a tear big enough to fill a pint glass splashed beside him.

“I don’t.” He winced. The conversation was distracting him from the pain in his leg but he was almost certain he’d rather just sit with his leg on fire. “I’m so sorry Aisell it…”

“I knew you were unhappy. After what I did I’m surprised you didn’t run away the first chance you got but did you not think what it would do to me!?” Aisell’s voice gradually picked up in volume and pace as more tears fell.

“Aisell…”

“I looked for you! For days all I did was cry and search for you! No eating, no sleeping, just hoping against hope. It was all I could think about for weeks on end. To find you! To know that you hadn’t died here!” She broke down and sobbed hard.

Luke looked down to his leg. He couldn’t look at her, it was too much.

“I swore to protect you, and you let me think that I’d killed you! You knew how much of a mess I was just when you were unhappy! Did you not think how it would affect me if I thought you were dead!? It took me months to get over losing you! And then you turn up at my door with your wife and ask for my help as if nothing had happened!?” Aisell was near hysterical by this point.

She buried her head in her hands and continued to sob. She sounded like she was about to speak up again but stopped.

Luke couldn’t tell if she was angry, upset, terrified or confused. It was probably all four in large quantities at the same time.

“If you wanted to stay with her I wouldn’t have stopped you…” She sniffed. “I just wish you had told me, that you were still alive…”

That did sting. The guilt. It stung more than his leg which was seemingly being knit back together through magic laser beams. He owed her an explanation, at the very least. It wouldn’t stop her hurting but it might help a little.

“Do you know how my leg got broken?” he asked.

Aisell sniffed and shook her head.

“Trying to get home.”

This brought another sniff and a small smile from Aisell. She looked up to him, eyes red raw. “Still trying to get back to Earth?”

“No you dummy. To you! Here!” Luke said.

Aisell shook her head again and ran the back of her hand across her face to wipe away the tears. “This was never your home. You hated it here.”

Luke sighed and winced a bit as the pain reminded him he was actually getting what was effectively major surgery. “Home is where the people who you love are, and the people who love you are, Ais. I didn’t know it then but I’m one of the luckiest men alive. I have a home back on Earth, I have a home in the Great Tree with Quendra and my Tribe. But I have a home here too with you.”

“I kidnapped you, you should hate me.” Aisell said quietly.

“You’ve saved me! Over and over and over again and I cause you nothing but grief! You should hate me!” Luke was pleading.

Aisell shook her head. “I want to. I should. But I don’t. You didn’t ask for any of this. You deserve to be happy.”

“Not at the expense of your happiness I don’t.”

Aisell sniffed and wiped her eyes again, forcing a smile on to her face. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ve learned to cope with…”

“AHHHHH!!!!” Luke called out and wrenched his leg out from under the device.

Aisell quickly checked the medical scanner and then slid the ossicle back over Luke’s leg. She placed a finger on Luke’s chest, not forcing him down but just in the way.

“Hold my finger, it’s going to hurt but it’ll be worth it.” She said.

Luke looked unsure. About the leg and the finger. Quendra might kill him if she saw this. And not figuratively. The uncertainty vanished as another excruciating bolt of pain fired from his leg. He grabbed on to the finger tightly and groaned in agony.

Aisell grimaced. Both inwardly and outwardly. She didn’t know if this was the right thing to do but her friend was in pain and she couldn’t just let him suffer on his own.

“It’s ok, it’s nearly over. I got you Luke, I got you.” She said rubbing his shoulder with her thumb. She thought back to when she had first picked him up. Back on Titan Station after the scillith had attacked him. She’d said the same thing to him then. “I got you Luke. I’ve always got you.”

The ossicle beeped and the light shut off. Luke gasped and let go of her finger, quickly falling back to the table top. He lay panting, trying to compose himself as the pain gradually faded away. Aisell tapped on the scanner and happy with what she saw started to tidy things away.

“Can you get up?”  She asked after giving him some time.

Luke slowly pushed himself up on to his feet. Aisell raised her brow, pressing him on. He took a few steps forward, it was stiff at first. He quickened his pace, shaking out his leg. He was soon in a jog with a smile on his face.

“That thing is amazing!” he said.

“Well don’t do anything too strenuous for a few days. The ossicle broke your bones again and reset them. It’s grafted them but your leg is still weak. Let it settle or it’ll be off to the vet with you. And I know you don’t want that.”

“No…” Luke shook his head.

“So what was it you did getting home that broke your leg in multiple places!?” Aisell had just the hint of a condescending tone to her voice.

“Oh, not much. Just fighting a shaar.” Luke responded, matching her condescension.

Aisell near choked on her own tongue.

“Fighting a shaar!?” She shouted.

“Made it to your porch and everything. Quendra saved me. I’m pretty sure I saved her too. I’m not always the one being saved.” Luke said with a mild swagger.

“Emperor’s balls Luke! That’s…that’s….I mean…I fought a Ler and I think that’s impressive!” Aisell set her hand down for him.

“Thanks.” He beamed stepping on.

Aisell stepped out of the house. The next obvious questions hanging in her mind. She was unsure if she should ask it or not.

“Quendra…I assume you love her?” She was sure. She definitely shouldn’t have asked it.

Luke nodded. “I do.”

“And she’s good to you? You’re happy?”

“She is. I’m very happy.” Luke smiled only a little bit nervous.

“Can I come and visit you?” Aisell asked.

“Only if I can come visit you.” He replied.

The two were quiet as Aisell walked down the path back to the Great Tree. There was still one question burning a hole in the titaness’ mind. One she knew she had to ask.

“Luke…does she know about…”

“Yup.” Luke said flatly.

“Ah…”

“Yup…”

“Well, this is going to be awkward.” She said.

*.*.*.*

Lezah sat on the grass a few units away from the Tribe’s royalberry tree. It was daylight now, and she enjoyed watching the humans go about their daily tasks, even as she took a break from her own.

She felt giddy. For the first time in months she felt like there might be a real chance that she and her sisters could keep their home and their livelihood intact. That she could possibly help keep this group of people safe at the same time, as well as perhaps make amends for the terrible accident her aunt and uncle had caused, was a welcome bonus to the equation.

Of course, she still had to convince the tribe leaders of her plan.

She watched, as the small group of people marched towards her. At the head was their leader, Drugar. Lezah hoped he was as wise as he’d seemed the night they’d rescued them all from TETH. She hoped he’d be able to see the ways her idea would benefit them all.

Following closely behind Drugar came half a dozen others, both men and women, including Quendra- Luke’s wife.

Luke himself was not in attendance. Aisell still had him up at the house so she could tend to his injured leg. Lezah could still see the tension that this caused in Quendra; but to the young woman’s credit, she hadn’t raised any objections. Indeed, she had been the first to insist they go and get the problem taken care of.

The small envoy from the tribe stopped in front of Lezah. Immediately a problem became obvious as, one by one, each of the humans craned their necks to look her in the eye.

“Oh… this won’t do.” She muttered. “You’ll all get neck cramps after a few minutes.” The young farmer looked around for inspiration, but didn’t see any way to level their playing field.

“Over here, Hair Like Fire.” Lezah turned to find that the entire envoy had quickly ascended the tree next to her and were seated comfortably in the branches at roughly eye level.

“Oh.” Lezah smiled. “That works.”

Drugar nodded, a slight smirk on his face. “We have come to hear the proposal from you and your sisters, on how we all can better our relations from this point forward.”

Lezah took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I don’t know how much Luke has told you, but we are in danger of losing control of this farm. We are in pretty deep debt and we frankly needed a miracle to get out of it…”

“Those fruits growing on your Home Tree… what you call glowberries… they’re very valuable to Titans. To us, they’re very hard to harvest without damaging them, both because of their size and because of the irritating thorns the tree produces, which I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about.”

The humans chuckled and nodded. There wasn’t a person in the tribe who hadn’t felt the tree’s sting at least once.

“Because of the difficulty we have in obtaining the fruit, they’re extremely expensive.” Lezah continued. “If we could sell the berries from that tree, we would have more than enough money to be able to keep our farm.”

“And that’s where we need you. We can’t harvest the berries ourselves. Doing so by hand would be too time consuming to be worth it, and there’s no way we’d be able to afford the kind of machinery necessary to do so otherwise. And because obviously, you’re all living there and we have no intention of removing you. You, however, have developed a rather impressive method of harvesting the fruits. With your help, we could gather the berries for a fraction of the cost.”

Drugar nodded. “You have explained why you are in need of our help, now… what need have we of you?” There wasn’t any malice in the Leader’s words, more like he was attempting to give her a segue way into the next part of the conversation.

Lezah nodded. “Of course. The fact of the matter is, we own the land you’re living on. I’m not saying that as a threat, but merely stating a fact. As long as my sisters and I control this farm, we can guarantee the safety of your tribe. No one will try to hunt you, or exterminate you… or relocate you.”

“Are we to be your pets then?” Quendra asked. “Or your slaves?”

Lezah blinked and peered at the young woman, who looked on mildly. Upon further reflection, Lezah again encountered no particular malice in the question. It was almost as if Drugar and his advisors were bringing up contradictory opinions solely to give her the chance to answer them.

This made sense, of course, because after she had convinced them, they would in turn have to convince the rest of the Tribe.

“Certainly not.” Lezah finally answered, shaking her head. “We don’t want to be your owners in any way. I, and my sisters as well, want this to be a partnership. You and your people will be compensated in whatever way you feel is fair.”

There was a murmur from the humans, and several of them nodded their heads.

“How much of the fruit will you be taking?” A middle aged man, who sat just above Lezah’s line of vision, asked.

“I’m not sure.” The young woman said with a shrug as she looked up at him. “Certainly not all of it. As I said, those berries are very valuable. I’m sure there will be more than enough remaining for your use. In fact, if this works as well as I’m hoping it will, perhaps we’ll be able to expand with a second tree.”

There a brief moment of silence. Lezah expected there to be more questions, but for the moment none seemed forthcoming.

“I believe we all see the wisdom in your offer, Hair like Fire.” Drugar finally said, breaking the silence. “But we here are not the entire tribe. We must take what you have said here to the rest of our people, and we will decide on it then.”

Lezah nodded, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. “When will you have your decision?” She asked, quietly.

“We will speak on this tonight, and have our choice made by tomorrow.”

“I’m pleased you are willing to consider it.” Lezah nodded as she slowly climbed to her feet. “Until then…”