Alana

Gene picked up what was left of Alana's stuffed bear and inspected it. He cut off the head and reached inside it. There, hidden in-between the stuffing was a necklace with a beautiful starburst pendant. Gene stuffed the necklace into his coat pocket and cocked his gun. He spun around and to prepared to fire when a frightened cat ran across the street. He sheathed his gun and started the walk back. There was definitely something wrong going on and he had to find out what it was.

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"Go fish. Hey Gene. Did you find anything out?" Jim asked as he set his cards on the table.

"Analyze this will you? I want you to tell me about your brother," Gene said as he sat across from Alana.

"What do you want to know about him?" Alana asked.

"You said that you were never apart. Why?"

"He protected me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm different."

"What do you mean by different?"

"I can do things that normal people can't."

"Such as…?"

"Get down Gene!" Jim cried as a spark of light flashed over Gene's head.

"Are you okay?" Alana inquired as her hand reached through the table. Gene yelped in shock and scrambled out from under the table. She shrank back in the chair and tried to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible. Her body shuddered in sadness as tears rolled down her face.

"Nice going Gene," Jim said. "Geez look at these readings. The pendant is responding to her energy. Look at the way it's pulsating."

"So what does that mean?" Gene asked.

"I don't know."

"Come on, you're the brains of this outfit."

"I've never seen anything like this before."

"Here," Alana said and handed Gene a piece of paper.

"What's this for?" Gene inquired.

"All that you've done. We're even now. We don't owe each other anything."

"Put this on our account, Jim."

"Gene she's leaving," Jim said as Alana walked out the front door.

"Alana wait," Gene said and ran after her. She stopped and looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"You're not obligated to me now. I have my clothes and I'm going to take them as far away from your shop as I can," she sobbed and he grabbed her hand.

"I want to help."

"Let go of me. I don't need your help anymore."

"They'll kill you."

"At least then I wouldn't be alone anymore."

"Are you really ready to die?"

She sobbed as she pressed her face into his chest. Gene was taken aback by her actions for a few seconds then wrapped his arms around her waist. He moved a hand down to her rump and began to stroke it. Her sobs subsided as she gazed up at him. He kissed her and she blinked her eyes as she felt his tongue probe her mouth.

"Is she okay? Great Gene, why don't you suffocate her?" Jim demanded and Gene gave him the finger. Alana pulled away from Gene and gasped for air. He watched her chest heave heavily and smiled.

"You kiss well. Now do you believe that I want to help?" he asked and she looked at him.

"Yes…" she replied as she gazed into his eyes.

"Can I have my bed back?"

"Enough Gene. We need to figure out why they want her so badly," Jim said.

"That's a great idea. Come on Alana," Gene said and led her back into the shop.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to interrogate her. Let's go to my room where I can ask you questions in private."

"Gene…"

"I'd ask you along but you may see more than a little boy should."

Jim growled as Gene shut his bedroom door. He kicked the bottom of the stairs and sat heavily on the couch. He gazed up at the ceiling in frustration.

"Damn you Gene!" he yelled and Gene opened the door.

"Keep it down will you Jim?" he inquired and closed the door behind him.

"I want to ask you these questions in a natural setting," Gene said as he removed his pants.

"I'll try to answer them the best I can," Alana said as Gene leaned close to her.

"Have you ever been with a man like this before?"

"Once. Alan only did it once. I don't know why he stopped. It was kind of fun."

"So how far did he go with you?"

"In relation to what?"

"Why was he so protective of you?"

"Part of the reason was that I saw things. I kept seeing my parents' death in my sleep until Alan started giving me some medicine to help me sleep at night. He would give it to me when we were in space too. When I didn't have it, I would see terrible things."

"What sort of things?" Gene asked as he rubbed her shoulders.

"I would see myself on an operating table hooked up to some wires and Alan holding a knife. I also saw him die and come back to life. There were also people who called themselves pirates that threatened to destroy Alan if he didn't complete the project. I saw needles and blood. Can I stop talking now?" Alana asked.

"What are these scars from?"

"What scars?"

"On your arm. There's a row of little dots from your shoulder to your elbow. Its as if you were stabbed by a…needle several times," Gene said as he ran a hand over her right breast. He touched her nipple and she gasped. Her eyes glazed over and she fell head first onto Gene's lap.

"Jim!!"