Chapter 7: Do. You. Trust. Me?

It was a few weeks since everything blew up into more of a bigger picture. She is now at the facility for over six months. Analeigh is still secretly watching videos and reading journals her mother left. It seemed as if though they were endless. Her heart would fall a little deeper in depression when she started wondering what she would do when she completed them. Probably just watch them again all over in the order they were meant to be in this time. Everything feels so off. Maybe though her mom did that for a reason. Maybe this is to ease her mind into everything slowly as it is being revealed piece by piece.

She mainly just loved learning and listening to her mom. It was nice to be able to see her and learn from her hands on even if it couldn't be in person. She hasn't even told Nix about the videos. Just the journals the read together. For some reason she felt so much happiness jus tot be able to keep this one thing for herself. Her dad has been confusing as hell trying to get close to her randomly and yet still pushing her away. Aunt Paige has extended her stay away. Quinn is sad about it but he knows how much her job means to her and they still video call for a bit every other day.

Aunt Paige personally flew down to a conference dad was at a few states away bout two weeks ago to rip him a new hole for marrying me off. It was such an ugly scene Ellie had to pull Aunt Paige off of him. Which you can never do with Paige it basically ended up with both dad and Ellie going to get faces healed and arms back in their sockets. Luckily our technology is fast healing to point we can bounce right back in hours. Like dad says science advantages don't have the time to slow down.

I did have a long taxing dinner with dad last night. Making sure to remind me of doing my best and making sure Jaxon feels like he has a place with me. To make sure I am doing all the experiment reports and giving all the consultations in a timely manner. He piles more on my plate every month more than I think I am willing to handle. I'll never know why he is such a cheerleader for Jaxon after all these years of passing by and over all my friends. I never even knew he noticed him or anyone else. Archer has been helpful with a lot of things. He should be rocking a Nobel as much as he has really done for humanity yet the world sadly will never know the genius beyond the man.

I have weeded the good guards from the bad ones. Actually I had those picked and narrowed the first two weeks here. I gave a bunch of lies and tests to see who would go running to higher powers and man did they bomb hard. It was hilarious though watching them get punished for the lie I told them that got past to the supervisors. Since then they caught on to me. Which made doing dads dirty work a little harder as a personal spy.

Ellie has been sending all kinds of wedding stuff. Meeting with me in random corners with magazines and things from her phone. Although I just smiled and nodded I just can't take her words go straight to heart. It's not that they are bad ideas or anything. It's a mixture of things. Such as it's something I feel like I should be doing with Sienna, auntie Paige…and mom. It's hard to get into all this stuff knowing such a big piece is missing. Yet I am so into with Sienna wedding plans.

The problem is me. I guess deep down I really don't want this. No matter how close I am to Jaxon, no matter our past. I am starting to doubt I will ever be happy or grow to love him the ways he needs and should be loved. It's been half a year. What the hell is wrong with me he's super sexy, smart, humble, funny and kind. He's got a great job he's just killing it in. Something in me must be broken. Maybe that's it I just…to broken.

"Ana you good?" "I'm sorry Julian what?" Julian Carter one of the good soldiers here his nick name is the vault for various reasons. Respectable reasons. "You been standing here in front of the cafe for a while. I was just seeing if you good dude." He laughed to her. "Just having a bit of a mental break through sorry." "Break through or break down?" "Ha ha very funny laugh it up funny man. Get back to work." Jace came up pushing him along.

Hugging her tightly. "You look like you really need this. You good? Dinner with dad go as well as expected?" "Yup." She said pointing to her nose. "Hey don't let it go too much to your heart. Honestly somewhere down. Deep down. Way down. Like the reaching the south pole down I really want to believe he means well." Jace said with a the most heartfelt smile. "I can tell you mean that." She nodded both of them trying not smile but burst out laughing anyway.

"Jace let me ask you an honest question." "Alright." "Do you think I'm broken." "Yes. On the other hand though I mean think about it Analeigh which of us isn't for one point or another." "Good point. Ok let me ask you differently. Are you excited to get married like can feel it to your core happy. When you think about your day are you happy and excited picking things out?" She asked him grabbing the things from the café and scanning the code when she rang it up.

"Yes and no I get more anxious than anything. I mean I know how important it is to you females but I mean it's our day to. We do have some wants and expectations of our own. I just get a little anxious because I really don't want to mess anything up for Si." Looking down into her eyes he felt sad. "You know though it's a little different as well. I mean I fell in love with her at first sight in high school thankfully through you. I have been dreaming about this for awhile. I do feel it to my core. Than again I have been ready for this for some time." Taking a deep breath as he watched her nod.

"Look Ana it's ok if you don't feel invested into all this. You didn't pick this for yourself you just accepted it. You can't expect emotions to be where they are not. Don't feel bad for how you feel. I mean maybe you will get there, maybe you won't. Maybe you won't get to that place where you know you are ready until a few years after it's already happened. Just know that we are all here rallying behind you. Just be true to yourself. Even if you are unhappy try not be discouraged by it. It's ok to feel the way you do. If it's any difference I am always willing to have a get away car waiting for you." Jace said standing proud smiling to her.

"I would never ask you to do something so dangerous and you know it." "I will always be down to dangerous shit with my bestie. Our little family is ride or die. We few are an untangable knot. We got your back. Just breathe and take it a day at a time." "What if. What if it isn't enough?" She whispered lowly. "Than it's a good thing we master in special opps to get our way out." "There's my girl." Jaxon said wrapping his hands around her hugging her tightly kissing her on her cheek.

"Hey you got some bad timing I'm about to head down. Got a lot to get down today." She said as she just stood there tapping his arm. "Are you free for lunch?" "No, I brought it and just really want to get some things done this week. I will text you when I get home though." She tried bargaining. "Do you have any free time this week." He turned her around wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his fore head to hers. "Jaxon I really want to get this going. I am doing really good."

"Alright." He sighed. "I guess I should back up and give you some space. I mean I did take up like ten days straight except for last night. Oh by the way my parents want to have dinner with you like next weekend so just pencil it in your calendar and give me a time." He was so obliviously happy. Just floating on cloud nine. She could only give him a happy smile and nod. "Alright in a couple days I'll just texted her. Have fun boys." She waved off as he snagged a kiss to her cheek.

It wasn't until she got through the doors she felt something off. Putting up the fake windows. Looking around the room. She got her blade out of a special part of her desk that was as long as her arm was. It was like a mini sword but light and sharp. She had weapons hidden everywhere. Walking around towards the pond in the back she took a small throwing knife and flung it quickly behind her. Looking back to see She had Nikolan ad his lower part of his pant armor stuck in the wall.

"You're slipping Niko. There's food on the counter." Nikolan has come to make great progress with getting to know Analeigh and they have come to a friendly understanding now. Once she got forced into what they did. He truly welcomed her as one of them. "I am not here for the nourishment. I have finally brought Melana for the answers we seek." She stopped and stared at him she knew how big this was for him. He brought his mate to her. The trust was strong now.

Looking back to the pond she was now standing there. Smiling to her as she looked nervous to her smiling. "You look like her. Our Emmie." She told her smiling widely. "Melana only speaks D'marlian. Her English is very poor. No matter how long we stay she never liked it. I honestly don't care for it either." Niko shrugged. "I'm happy to meet you Melana. You can call me Ana." "I have heard many great things about you. From many great sources over the years. It makes my heart smile you are helping us. Thank you for everything you have done and are doing." Melana hugged her tightly.

"Where is Phoenix hiding?" "Brother went to different floor he finally got our stealth modes fixed he just needed to fix certain parts so when we are done here we can go back to our safe room." Melana told her. That's when the radio static came through like a metal detector picking up metal. She went and opened the door looked around than closed it. For Phoenix to magically appear. "I'll never get over how you just mosey all over the place like the damn Predator." "I still take offense to that joke." He told her putting the armor bands for his siblings wrists on her desk.

"Take it how you like my dear." She smiled and shrugged to him. ""Did you get my muffin?" "Yeah in the bag." "You get the good tea?" "Yeah get the water ready. Swear I don't see why I got to get married so damn bad. It's like I got work husband here already." She grumbled making him smile. "Well little work wifey next time your out get the snickerdoodle things I like." "Cupcakes or cookies?" "Both. Where are we starting today?" He asked after he practically inhaled his jumbo cinnamon muffin.

"Well I thought it would be best to get a blood sample first. BUT I want one from all of you and two from Melana. That way I won't have to keep dragging her back. I wanna get a good run down on the male and female DNA's since you guys have been down here for so long and compare it to moms research when you guys first arrived." The all nodded to each other. "That will probably answer most out questions. I will be checking the data on this for a bit so you two will be free to go back to wherever it is you are needed. Nix can you get the first aide kit while I get the rest." She sprang up and went to her storage space a ways away from her bed.

She has slept in this office maybe once a week. Otherwise she lets Nix take it. Nix took out the alcohol pads and the blue rubber band tying it to himself first and cleaning the area he waited for her to attach the needle. Making sure the four bottles were clearly marked and color coded. Purple for Melana and blue for the boys. Ana already had a few practice things to try and start mixing with Melana blood hoping it would work. She had ten things to test. Half her mothers ideas and the others hers. Even Nix put one together hoping one would be able to take.

After the samples were taken they ate together a bit and spoke for a few minutes. Ana had put some of the blood in her other test cure tubes and was currently spinning them and getting them ready. Niko and Melana were nervous and excited to actually see something starting to get down. It's been a few years since they had any hope. They hated staying here where anything could happen. But they needed to be strong just awhile longer.

"I was anxious coming here today. Not knowing how it would make me feel. So many memories of such a sweet woman. It must be hard on you still. I do not mean to throw the salt on your wound. I just am happy to finally meet the heart and soul of our Emmie." Melana stroked the side of Annaleigh's face. She was not as tall as Niko and Nix but was taller than her. "It's been so long since I heard someone beside my dad call my mom Emmie. It's nice." "So was she and thankfully we still have her niceness through you. Thank you. We will not keep you." "Don't be a stranger now." Ana waved off after shutting her door.

Looking at Melanas blood she was breaking it down little by little taking the boys and doing the same. Comparing to her mothers notes took bout three hours. Nix was caring for the plants when he noticed her starting to shift differently. Coming up to stand next to her and giving her a look. She sighed and scratched the back of his head. "There is no difference in your blood from when you guys first got here until now. Thanks to the scans you got for me of you three. Nothing has changed in your bones or anything else either. Which is fine because there is no damages made to your body. But." She took a deep sigh.

"We're no closer to where we were when your mom started." Nix nodded his head slightly. "Sorry." "It's ok at least we are heading back in the right direction. Let's check the samples." He said as he sat back as she grabbed them all. Four ours and four tubes down and nothing change. Two of them look like they tried to attack the DNA but they all ended up being consumed by it and left no changes. She was getting frustrated. "I think you need to take a break Ana. Let yourself rest." Nix told her in a calming voice. "Yeah I guess I'm going to run upstairs. I ordered Chinese food for us a while ago. Her phone alert went off to tell her the delivery was here. "I'll be back." Smiling to her. She left.

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Looking down at his arm band he saw a message from Niko. 'Any luck?' 'Not yet. Tell them we are getting progress through new testing results are too early to be clear. We still have a ways to go.' 'Alright. They said to take your time. Better to have it done right, than to rush and full of errors. This is people's mates in the future concern is high.' 'I think Ana may be getting frustrated. It would help if we had another female here to compare the testing. She has confirmed it is only a female problem. Us males are not an issue we are genetically fine. We will need more female blood samples for further future testing. Inform them.' 'Will do. Make sure you two get rest.'

"Ana you're here?" Turning around with food in her hand. "Yeah I've got some stuff to make up for also got some blood samples I need to read while I still go the chance. I'm going to be crashing here don't tell no one." "Hey honestly I like having you closer to me knowing you're ok. I won't tell anyone. Uncle won't really care. Jaxon would be pist." Quinn smiled to her. "I won't tell." He said in a high laughing tone with his hands up. "I'll be at my room in the barracks over there on the other side of the building. If you need anything you let me know. Ima shower and go to bed. I'm wiped." "Ok bro love you." "Love you. Get some rest." Quinn hollered not even looking back to her walking away.

Walking through the door. She looked up. "You forgot to putu the windows down." Nix told her. "It's fine this one time. Everyone is pretty much gone. It's like eight now." She told him setting up their food to eat. Grabbing the chop sticks they both enjoyed using. "Don't forget to call your mate." Nix told her. "Shit right. Yeah I'll send him a text." She told him as she did than put down her phone. Phoenix watched her confused as the phone lit up with a response.

"May I ask you some personal questions?" "Sure I got nothing to hide to my alien best friend. Well besides my alien best friend." She smiled making him chuckle. "Do you fight with your mate a lot? Is he sick, or too busy for you?" "What? Jaxon? No we haven't had a disagreement for some time now. He always makes time for me. He is in good health." "Than why do you feel so indifferent with the man? I remember the humans who had mates when their phone went off with responses from them their heartrate would rise. Their breathing was better and altered at the same time. They smiled a lot. You don't respond in these ways. Why? Is your mate not good to you?" Nix was confused.

"Now Jaxon is great to me. It's just. We. I don't. First off stop calling him my mate. I know that it is sacred to you guys but on Earth it's not always the same way. Sometimes you get to marry the person you love that makes your heart skip and breathing better and altered at the same time. You know you guys are lucky you get to only be with a mate you love. Sometimes here on Earth that is not always a choice you get to make. Sometimes you get placed in an arranged marriage." She told him carefully.

"So you mean like your parents pick out your partner. Whether you are their mate or not?" Nix was disgusted by this. "Yeah. A lot of time it works out really good because the couple grow to love each other. They get used to each other and build a good bond. It works out well a lot of times." "What about the other times?" "Well it's not really talked about because well things happen. Like they get other secret partners to cope with what they are forced into. They treat each other like roommates and not partners. Sometimes people get their partners killed or they divorce." She told him simply.

"Those who harm their partners would be punished in worse ways in my people. It's like a huge sin. I remember the talk of divorce it is a painful process for some and a blessing for those who is in bad marriage as the term you like." "Yeah. I forgot you don't have divorce in your dimension." "No we have it just not withing our species. Other alien species practice it sometimes. Mostly if one get a deadly illness so their partner won't suffer as much but the bond is fatal thing." "Fatal?" She was confused.

"You remember how when our heart and mind connect on their own than through touch of the male mostly the bond surges through like an electrical magic wave and leaves an imprint on the partner. It happens randomly at the most weird times. Even if the partner is in danger it happened a lot when battles came out. Females were starting to be snatched up and taken and many of our males not even knowing it was happening reached and fought back for certain females and they imprinted them. Females also leave a mark sometimes. You can only imprint if both partners are of one mind, heart, soul and body. If the partner mind, heart, soul and body don't accept the other being than no bond will form. If however they do than you are mated you imprint on your partner." Sitting up better.

"We mate once for life. To remove a mates mark means to tare them from your soul, heart and body. It can be a deadly thing. All the alien species mate this way in our dimension. However depending on the bond is depending if the other mate will live through it. Some can divorce like you say if their partners health is weak and on verge of death. Many try to cut the other lose. Many if not all partners don't last on the best a year on the normal months after losing your life partner." He explained as she felt envious of him.

"I'm envious of you and your people to love who you really love. It's beautiful." "I thought Jaxon was your friend." "He is." "Does he not connect with you on a higher level? I just feel bad to see you sad like this. Somedays you look kind of happy to hear from him or see him here. You're smile though never reaches inside your eyes though." "Well I guess I am just waiting and trying to learn to love him. We don't all get the luxury of getting the love you guys get. Some of us just make the best of it. Besides we're not that much different with fertility on this planet either. Here you build a family with who you are compatible with." She told him cleaning up her area and his.

"That is not a way to live life." "Well you're a leader. You should know better than anyone you don't always get a say in how you live your life." "Bullshit. Everyone everywhere always has a choice. You just got to have the courage to make and take it. I mean hell if you can't choose your life than making one that can end shouldn't be no different but still grant you freedom right?" "So die happy?" She asked him confused in a chuckle. "No die being you on your terms." "I really like that. I will remember that. Now lets get back to work."

Each test tube took about an hour. She had done all ten. "You really should rest now Ana." "This can't be right. I mean I have to be missing something." "Ana if you are over looking anything than you're going to continue to do so if you don't get enough sleep. Let's worry about your health right now and we can get back to ours later. A fresh eye and mind can't hurt right?" Phoenix was standing in front of her. As she kept pushing him away and looking over the results on the papers.

Finally with a huge sigh he just picked her up bridal style and started to take her over to the mattress style cot. "What the hell are you doing? Why are you so tall?" She grunted all the way over there. "Look I can't trust you to drive when your eyes are down to pass your nose. Just get some rest and we will try again tomorrow." Looking at him frustrated. "Fine." She gritted through her teeth. Laying down as he hit the lights and the little fairy lights and the plants that had a beautiful glow to them as well. Looking up at the little planets that went up from a small projector Paige made her.

"Hey Nix can I ask you some questions?" He was in a hammock her mother made for them when he first go there right around the corner from her. "You can try." He told her looking at the planets that changed on the ceiling with her. "Are you disappointed?" "Not really. Your mom ran some of the same tests and didn't get too far either. It's good to be sure though." "Are you worried?" "Not even a little bit. I have full faith in you. Something about you tells me you are the savior of D'marlians." He told her waving his hand in the air for effect making her smile.

"Yeah, sure." She scoffed at him. "Do you miss home?" It was silent for a minute. "Yeah. I guess I do. You know it's been a few years. Normally I have to go out on missions and other things for my family. I have opted out of the line for the crown. I still have a lot of power though. Luckily my brothers and I are really close. There is no power struggle among us for the crown. There is one person who's ideas differ from us and he does put up quiet a racket but he gets shut down real quick. He is not as strong as any of us are especially me. He also has no rights to claim on the blood line. He can never get the power. Doesn't mean he doesn't try." He let out a sigh.

"This though is the longest I have been away from home. Not the farthest though. Although it is for Nikolan and Melana they miss home terribly. BUT they came for a reason. I always strive to help my family's dreams to come true. Besides it would be nice to have a little baby walking around the palace again. The last one was Niko." He laughed hard. "Do you ever think about having kids?" "In the future? I would like to have a couple or how many I get blessed with. I mean it would be nice to know it could happen you know with the work you are doing. It means so much to so many."

"What about you Ana do you see yourself teaching your little ones how to fight and the life saving plants." He chuckled. A small tear fell from her eye. "I never thought about it. I have actually done everything I can in life not to think about it. See for you guys it's a blessing. For me and other females here. We are required which is a nice way of saying it is expected for woman like me to have a lot of kids actually. Our population took such a hit. My status in this world and my physical state leaves me in condition to have many."

"Isn't that a blessing?" "It is. All babies are miracles. It's just I never been in love with man. I never been in a relationship where I think this is who I want helping me chase our kids around the yard. Now that my dad has finally made his selection the thought of kids with Jaxon should be exciting. All I feel like is like I got a few chains hooked into me. It's like I'm in the deep in end of the water and so many people are latching chains around me and I'm sinking to a point where no matter how hard I try I can never get loose. I don't even have the will to keep kicking anymore I just lay there sinking in the water."

"Is there really no way out for you?" "Not in this planet my friend. Do you still have faith in me now? Being so pathetic." "You are a lot of things Analeigh. Pathetic is not one of them. You come from a line of naturally strong women. You are a fighter it's in your blood. Everything you need is inside you. You just got to dig deep and keep the faith in yourself." Nix told her as it got silent. "G'night Nix." "Rest well little one." Analeigh fell asleep hard after that.

Floating down to the water she saw them. All the chains her father, some of her colleagues, Jaxon all of them that chained her and threw into the water after struggling for so long she just let herself get glided down. Until she saw a huge figure grabbing her and pulling her out of the water. Phoenix she asked as they both were coughing up water. Looking up to her and than to the person in front of them. A huge group of D'marlians and her friends and other soldiers wearing paint on their faces like they are ready for battle. A man that looked just as dark as Phoenix but not as tall holding her mothers arm.

A weird symbol appeared on her arm as they both looked at her in shock. 'You're a fighter Ana it's in your blood.' Nix's words echoing in her mind. "Mom." Ana choked out tears falling down her face as she reached out for her mother. Looking at her mom smiling as she came up and took a small pin and started to poke Analeigh on her forearm all over. "Mom. Stop it. It hurts mom. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" 'Inside you. Inside you Ana. The answer is INSIDE YOU!!" Her mother shouting at her as she kept stabbing her with the little pin.

"Wake up." She heard a voice she started to struggle. "Come back to me little one." She fought harder with the scene in front of her. "ANALEIGH!" Her eyes flung open as she looked around scared and lost as Phoenix was looking at her with huge worry. "Are you alright? You were having a night terror." "Answer inside me. The answer is inside me." She was mumbling looking at her arm as she felt it was still bleeding. 'It's in your blood.' Nix words still repeating inside her head.

Pushing him away and grabbing his arms. "The answers inside me! Nix it's inside me." "Calm down what's inside you." "Blood. My blood!!" "I'm going to need you to walk me through that little one." "I need you to get the first aide kit. I'll get the rest we need to get the samples." "Who's samples?" "Mine." She said as she got up and got everything ready walking in front of him before she went to continue the next few steps. "Analeigh I really think you need to stop. You need rest. You can't keep going like this." Phoenix was trying anything he could to get her back into bed. She looked horrible. "No. Nix I'm so close. I can feel it." Before he went to argue she cut him off. "Nix just trust me. Can you do that right now?" He looked down at her. "Do. You. Trust. Me?"