It was well after midnight when Avery gave up on sleep. She had been laying there since they had all finished the celebrations and gone up to their respective rooms. She couldn't stop thinking about the attack, and how she had managed to avoid being hurt.
Was that why people were after her? Was she really that powerful? No matter what her family and friends told her, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been a bad person before. She had been pregnant at such a young age... and knowing that her family was religious... what kind of person had she been?
Admitting defeat, Avery sat up and got off her bed. She looked down at her pyjama shorts and singlet, and slipped a cardigan on over the top. She carefully opened the door, trying not to wake anyone else in the house, and crept downstairs, pausing by the backdoor to turn the fairy lights back on in the backyard.
She slowly opened the backdoor, ears pricked for movement, then crept out the back, closing the door behind her. She head out to the tent and pulled one of the tablecloths onto the ground, then lay on top of it, crossing her ankles daintily. She rested her arms behind her head, and looked up at the twinkling lights, almost immediately feeling at ease.
Her eyes slid closed as she sent her telepathic presence out, her whole body glowing golden as she concentrated.
Christian
Christian's eyes slid open as the fairy lights came on. He'd opted to occupy a couch in one of the back rooms of the house, as the rest of the rooms were taken up by the Hanson family and their wedding guests.
He sat up a little and peered over the bottom of the window sill. He noticed the trail of lights that led to the main tent swaying slightly, but that didn't account for the golden... 'aura' that seemed to be sweeping through the air just below the tent ceiling.
Sitting up further, he finally spotted Avery.
She was out there alone?
He ground his teeth a little, deciding. While under normal circumstance he'd be able to stay where he was and deflect any intruder with his telekinesis, he didn't currently have control of his primary power. Finally thinking he was spending too long thinking about it, he threw off the rug that someone had given him and made his way to the back door.
He opened it carefully and stepped out, hoping not to distract her from her work.
Avery
As her telepathic energy met a familiar block coming towards her, she opened her eyes, the energy making them appear a golden brown. She turned her head slightly, in the direction he was coming from.
"Did I wake you?"
Christian
"Wasn't really asleep," Christian admitted, ducking his head as he stepped into the tent.
"Sorry if I distracted you."
Avery
"It's ok."
Avery closed her eyes for a second and when she reopened them, they'd returned to her natural colour.
"I've been living here, I'm very used to distractions."
She looked up at him and then gestured beside her.
Christian
"I guess you would be," Chris hesitated.
He licked his lips awkwardly before stepping over and sitting down beside her.
"It's... pretty cool out here, huh?" he looked up appreciatively at the lights, "they did well with the decorating. Nice sort of..."
He paused, looking for the right word.
"I don't know. Intimate beauty. Ambience! That's it."
Avery
Avery glanced at him for a second, seeing the way the lights lit up his face and she had a flash of a memory.
Lights, holes in the ceiling, painted night sky...
"We've been here before. Sort of."
Christian
Christian looked across at her, then up at the lights.
"I think you might be mistaking me for someone. Like your brother," he offered.
But he lay down on his back so he could look at the lights anyway.
It wasn't that he didn't want her to remember the good times... he just didn't particularly want her to remember him.
Avery
Avery felt his arm touch hers as he lowered himself down and she shivered a little. It was confusing, as much as he made her feel safe, he also made her feel uneasy. Like something was wrong with the two of them being friendly. She had been chalking it up to the fact that her brothers seemed uneasy around him, and decided to push it aside. No matter what the history was, he had come to protect her twice now.
"Maybe," she mused. "I like stars. I suppose that's why I liked the Station. Tanya told me I was fond of the gardens... looking out into the galaxy."
She turned her head to look at him.
Christian
Christian glanced at her, but broke eye contact.
"There's a lot of inspiration there," he said thoughtfully.
"What else did Tanya say?"
Avery
Avery shrugged a little, returning her focus back to the lights. She closed her eyes for a long moment, enjoying the peace of being outside.
"This and that, how I was talented, how I had been through some things but was stronger because of them..." she sighed, reopening her eyes.
"I hear stories about myself and the things I've done, and I see photos and I remember bits and pieces... and I can't shake the feeling that I wasn't a good person. Maybe it's best if I never remember."
Christian
Christian turned his head to look at her, some strands of black hair falling across his face.
"You were - are - a good person, Avery," he insisted.
"Just because you may have done some bad things in your time, it doesn't mean you had bad intentions when they happened. Accidents happen. And from what I remember, the only time you really did anything untoward it was in self-defence."
He noticed idly that he was giving her a similar speech to what Tanya had given him a million times. He just didn't believe her version so much.
Avery
"Sorry," Avery said quietly. "I think this whole wedding thing has put me in a weird mood, like, I'll never have what Jess has because who could love someone who doesn't even know who she is?"
She sighed again.
"It's like everyone's just waiting for me to remember. And they're not pressuring, they're not saying anything, but they don't have to say anything. Sorry. Ignore me. I just feel weird."
Christian
"Well it is the middle of the night," Chris couldn't help but chuckle.
"But is there really a rush? I mean, to find someone like that? I don't see anything wrong with just going with the flow. You know, letting life happen."
Avery
"I don't know," Avery shrugged. "Honestly, I don't even know if anyone would've wanted to be with me before I lost my memory. I don't think I was a catch. Pregnant as a teenager? I... I don't know."
She ran a hand through her hair, fanning the curls out around her head.
Christian
"You were by far not the only teen pregnancy on the planet, or on the station even," Christian pointed out, "besides, Dathrians are supposed to be exceptionally fertile. I guess Taylor's proven that second generation running."
He watched as her hair fell into place.
Avery
Avery turned her head slightly, closing her eyes as the cool night breeze swept over them.
"Maybe," she hummed. "Why did you come? It's just... this is not the first time you've come between me and disaster... and you being here makes things so awkward for you. So why bother?"
Christian
Christian's eyes lowered so he was looking at about their waists.
"I guess... I've always felt this unbridled need to watch out for you," he shrugged, "and I thought you might be in trouble, so I came."
He turned his head to look at the lights again.
"Something happened, back when we first met. And I guess I've kinda felt the need to make up for it in a way."
He gulped slightly.
Avery
Avery opened her eyes to look at him when he spoke, wondering what it was that he felt guilty about.
"I appreciate it," she told him. "I just don't really get..."
A flash of something again, but it was gone before she could make sense of it.
"I can't help but think there's something you're not saying."
Christian
'Take your pick' Chris couldn't help but think to himself.
"Unfortunately I'm big on the secrets, sorry," he said awkwardly, "I haven't really spent that much time out of rehab in the last few years."
Avery
Avery's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she caught his thought.
"I see," was all she said.
Christian
He looked across at her again.
"I'm sorry, this must be very confusing for you," he winced a little.
"I just... you losing your memory is probably more of a good thing for me than for anyone else."
Avery
Avery bit her lip as she looked at him.
"What did you do to me?"
Christian
Christian visibly blanched, not expecting the question. He tried as hard as he could, but he couldn't stop the quick flashes from that night coming to mind. The car. Taylor. Pulling them out of the plane.
He turned his head to the lights again and closed his eyes, blocking it out.
Avery
Avery saw it, just as it popped into his mind and she recoiled, sitting up and backing away from him.
"Oh my God," she breathed, her face horrified. "You're him, aren't you? You're the man without a face."
Christian
"The what?" Chris frowned, confused.
He sat up after she did and brushed himself off.
Avery
"The man in my nightmares," Avery scrambled to her feet.
"The one who took me and Tay... it was you, wasn't it?"
Christian
Christian’s face flushed red as he brought his knees in and wrapped his arms loosely around them.
”Sort of,” he shrugged, “but not really. It depends on the context…”
Avery
The look that crossed over Avery's face was pure betrayal.
"How could you not tell me? I trusted you, I defended you..."
She turned her head away from him.
Christian
”It’s not as if everyone doesn’t know about it already,” Christian shrugged, refusing to look her in the eye.
”And I didn’t know. I didn’t know it was me you were talking about.”
Avery
"Were you just hoping that I'd never remember?"
Avery lifted her eyes to meet his, brown eyes darkened in hurt and anger.
Christian
”Well no, not exactly,” Christian reasoned, “I just…”
He paused with a sigh, then turned to face her.
”Give me your hand,” he held his out.
Avery
Avery hesitated, looking at his hand for a long moment and against her better judgement, put her hand on top of his.
Christian
Chris took hold of her wrist with his other hand and pulled her forward so he could lay the palm of her hand on his forehead.
He remembered back to when Craig gave him the order to take Avery in.
” "Christian," Craig said, turning to him, "I need you to do me a favour. You see, I may need a telepath to help me use some of my tools. However, I also know that I will need someone easily manipulable, as I can't use my usual methods. That suggests a child. But a child isn't much use to me if they are too untrained."
He paused and a large smirk crossed his face.
"But I happen to know that there is a child with a master potential. I want you to take her and meet me at my base. The girl is not yet aware of her full potential, so be careful, but she shouldn't pose much of a problem. Nonetheless, try to pick her up when she's alone," Craig continued, his eyes glittering in anticipation. "Her name is - it's rather ironic - Avery Hanson."
Christian looked up, startled.
"Avery Hanson? But..."
He hesitated with a frown.
"That's Isaac's younger sister."
"Yes, yes she is Isaac's sister. And I'm not suggesting you ask her politely to come with you." “
Chris made certain to include all the emotions present in the scene – the worry for Craig, the hapless devotion he’d exhibited for him – the determination to do anything to set him free of the collar. Then he skipped ahead.
” "What have you done with Avie?" Taylor demanded softly.
"She's with the Spider. They're working on removing his telepathic collar," Christian couldn't help but grin, knowing he'd finally helped Craig by getting Avie to him.
"Why are you working for him?"
"Not for him. With him. He's like a father to me," Christian stood up and looked down on him. “
~*~
” "Christian. Take her to her room please. No one is to disturb her until I give the say so."
Christian nodded, and telekinetically lifted Avery from the floor and began out the door with her.
Making his way down the corridor, he came to a bedroom, and took her inside. Turning a light on, he moved the covers of the bed, and set her down softly. Covering her up again carefully, he turned on a nearby lamp, and stared at her for a moment.
Shaking his head, he left the room, closing and locking the door. “
~*~
” "I want to see Taylor. Please, just for a few minutes, let me talk to him, let me hug him, I need my big brother. Then I'll do what you want, I just can't go on without seeing him."
"Sorry Avery, but it's not up to me," Christian replied from the doorway as he watched down the hall for Craig. “
~*~
” "Why are you working for him? You know, if you disobey him, you're gonna get hurt."
"I don't work for him, I just like doing him favours," Christian rolled his eyes.
"He brought me up after my mother went missing and my father was killed. He's more of a father to me than anyone else on this stinking planet."
He glanced at her, but looked away.
"And I'd never disobey him. I'm not afraid of him, because I know I'm valuable to him. But it wouldn't ever come to that. I trust him with my life." ”
~*~
” Avery stood and looked around. "Where's the shower?"
Having there been no sign of Craig so far, Christian took her hand and led her back down the hallway. There was a small bathroom near her bedroom, and he showed her in.
"I'll have to keep watch for you. We have a lot of sickos that live here," he told her. “
Avery
Avery's eyes flashed gold as her telepathy worked at picking up everything Christian was giving to her. As the energy grew, her body radiated golden again, and she gasped as the last memory hit her.
"Stop..." she whispered, trying to pull her hand away.
Christian
"No," Christian said firmly, holding her hand in place as his eyes opened.
He continued to concentrate.
~*~
"Tanya..." Christian spread his hands, "I'm at my wit's end. I've got nowhere else to go."
He stood up again and paced a little.
"After I called you, yes, I went back to Blakesley. Mid last month Racer showed up. Took me from Blakesley, blocked my powers, and locked me up in a jail cell."
He stopped and rubbed his chin.
"I've only got four days before he puts a command in my head to make me work for him. And he's gonna use me to get to you. And everyone else here."
"If you're here, how can he put a command in your head?" Tanya asked. "Oh, never mind. But a proper shield..."
She paused considering. One thing was for certain, it wouldn't do for Lucious to get such an upper hand.
"Very well, Christian. I'll give you what you want. But please bear in mind that... that..."
How could she tell him that she didn't want to find out he had become the next big number one enemy?
"Please try not to make me regret turning you in by hearing that some YIRAAS agent has killed you. Because if you... if you continue down Craig's road, I fear that's what may happen."
Christian gulped, and looked into her eyes.
"Tanya... Avery's going to kill him," he said softly.
He looked down at the floor, then across at the door.
"I don't know when or how, but she's going to... he's going to die. I.. The main reason Lucious took me in the first place was to keep me out of the way. I have to find him before it's too late."
Avery
"No, stop it!"
Avery focused her energy and sent a shock into his brain, just enough to loosen his grip on her hands.
She wrenched her hands away and backed off, a few tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Am I meant to feel sorry for you? Throwing in your emotions into the memories, I don't care what your motives were, how much you needed... I was a kid. Do you think the fact that you tried to look after me later on makes up for that? What if I hadn't been able to help him, would you have let him kill me?" she sobbed, angry and hurt by all that had been revealed.
"Or would you have 'protected me' again, Christian?" she spat his real name out like it tasted bad.
Christian
"I would have protected you," Christian said, with utmost sincerity, "because you're right. You were only a child."
He didn't move from his knees.
"All I ever wanted was his approval. I wanted him to be proud of the son that he'd brought up. Is that too much to ask? For your parents to be proud of you?"
Avery
"Then what was all of this? Pretending to be a friend, lying about your name..."
Avery shook her head, trying to process everything she had just heard and seen.
"Was it a game? Payback? I can only assume that I did kill him. So were you just playing with me to get me back?"
Christian
"It was never about that!" Christian shook his head.
He stopped to get his bearings, then began using his hands for emphasis.
"When I found you, in New Orleans, this is the face that I had. You didn't even know you were an alien. I wasn't going to spring that on you straight up," he began carefully.
"I also figured that if you were trying to get your memories back, the ones with me were the last ones you'd want. And thirdly..."
He trailed off, looking up at her.
"Do you even remember my face?"
Avery
"I get it, you did something wrong by me, and then I did something wrong by you, you think we're even, but how can we ever be even? With what has happened between us, how can we ever..."
Avery took another step back, her hand flying to her mouth.
"You... all of those things that I attributed to Taylor, they weren't... you have Taylor's face, don't you?"
Christian
Chris resisted the urge to shift back to himself then and there.
"Yes," he responded firmly.
"Because when he was a baby, he was cloned. I am that clone."
He looked away and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Nature versus nurture," he smirked under his breath, getting a mental flash of Blakesley saying the same thing and not able to stop the mental image of his father stabbing him in the hip.
Avery
Avery recoiled at the memory, and took another step back, remembering something she hadn't seen when she'd first thought of the paint fight.
"How could you, after all of that, be attracted to me?" she shook her head. "You wanted something to happen after we had that paint fight. You..."
Christian
"Don't think for a second that I didn't know that feeling was mutual," Chris pointed at her.
"And my working theory proved correct. You weren't squeamish with 'Neal' at all."
Avery
Avery sighed and pulled Christian to his feet.
"Fine, you wanna prove a point? Let's do this."
And with that, she brought his mouth to hers.
Christian
Chris let himself be pulled up by the shirt, before his eyebrows rose in shock at the kiss.
He hesitated, but then clasped his hands to her jawbone and kissed her back.
Avery
Avery kissed him for a good few minutes, and then pulled back, half panting for breath. She raised her hand and slapped him hard against his cheek.
"Are you happy now?"
Christian
Chris gently touched his cheek, then grinned.
"Not quite."
He slid his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in again.
Avery
Avery's hands slipped around Chris's neck as they kissed. Her body was pressed up against his and she started to lean back, one arm reaching down to the ground to carefully lower them both down, lips still attached.
She lay back, pulling him on top of her by the neckline of his shirt.
Christian
Chris let her lead him, the hand that had been on her neck reaching behind to hold him up.
His other hand ventured downward.
Avery
Avery brought her knees up on either side of Christian's body, and she leaned up to kiss him again.
She slid her hands down to pull his shirt off.
Christian
Chris knelt on the ground and stopped kissing her for a moment it took to straighten up and pull his shirt over his head. Throwing it aside, he lowered down onto her again and resumed the kiss.
His left hand crept up the inside of her thigh and... explored.
Avery
Avery smiled a little, letting out a soft moan, managing to pick out of his thoughts what he wanted.
She pushed him away for a second and slipped her cardigan off her shoulders, and pulled her pyjama singlet off, then brought his mouth to hers again.
Her other hand moved down to the waistband of his pants.
Christian
As she went lower, so did he.
He pulled his lips from hers, venturing down her throat and settling between her breasts where he started to form a love bite.
Avery
Avery lifted her hips a little and pulled her shorts off, before sitting up a little to push Christian's pants down his hips.
Her fingers danced across his pelvic bones, before venturing lower.
Christian
Chris paused purely to pull his pants all the way off, then lunged for her left breast which he began to suck.
He moaned a little as he felt her play with him, before putting his hand over hers and helping her push him into her.
Avery
Avery gasped, her head falling back, her eyes closing in pleasure. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him into her more.
She ran her hands down his back, scratching lightly.
Christian
Christian was gentle, but not so gentle she'd think he was taking it easy.
He slipped his left hand around so it held one of her cheeks, pulling her onto him with a little more force.
Avery
Avery instinctively sensed what he was trying to do and she pushed him onto his back, so she was on top. She braced herself with one hand, resting on his abs as she moved over him.
She leaned down, while still moving, and kissed him again, harder than she had before.
Christian
Chris let her move him, his hair starting to pick up leaves from the ground and he leant up and into her kiss.
His right hand slipped into her hair, holding her head tight against his.
Avery
Avery kept her mouth against his, her tongue lazily duelling his.
She moved over him, tightening around him as she moaned into his mouth.
Christian
~*~
It was a good couple of hours later when Christian lay back on the grass and just stared up at the fairy lights again.
That had been the first time in... hell, seven years easily. At least he'd made the most of it.
He looked across at Avery, awaiting her reaction.
Avery
Avery looked up at the lights, her eyes half closed from being tired.
She didn't say anything, just enjoying the quiet again.
Christian
Not getting anything, Chris turned back onto his back. He felt for where he thought his pants were, before sitting up and realising they were actually a good ten feet or so away.
"Hm. Awkward," he mused, looking around at the many places their clothes had been strewn.
Avery
Avery sat up, folding her arms over her chest, feeling the cold air finally. She glanced at Christian.
"Thanks for finally being honest with me, I guess," she said quietly.
Christian
Chris shrugged as he stood and started gathering their clothes, handing hers over to her as he found them.
"Sorry I didn't do it earlier. Guess I was just... scared."
Avery
Avery took her clothes and dressed quickly, standing up to make it easier. She caught his arm when he finished dressing, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'll see you later, I guess."
Christian
"I guess you will," Chris gave her a small smile.
"I'll stay in Tulsa as long as you want me here. Just give me a call."
He tapped his temple.
Avery
Avery gave a wry smile.
"I suspect if my brothers find out what happened... you're probably going to want to leave town. Or the state. Maybe the country."
Christian
"I can handle your brothers," Chris gave her a wink.
"But as to that, I probably should leave."
He looked behind him to where the sun was just starting to lighten the sky.
Avery
Avery smiled a little, and pulled her cardigan around her body a little tighter.
"Guess so."
Christian
Christian hesitated, wondering if he should kiss her again, before slowly backing away.
"Good morning," he smiled, before dipping a fake hat and turning to walk around the side of the house.
Once out of her sight, he ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.
Well! That had been an unexpected turn of events.