THIA

There are people outside my house.

So far, I've counted six; two women and four men. They don't talk at all and they barely blink, even when I snapped my fingers in front of their eyes.

They wear dark clothes and more than one gun each. And I'm guessing they have other hidden weapons that I haven't noticed.

Sketchy.

Definitely sketchy.

As I stand directly in front of one of the stoic females, I run my thumb and index finger over my chin--like professionals do in the movies--and analyze her intently.

She's beautiful in a unique way, with tattoos and a choppy haircut. Her body is very fit, but seemingly tense. Edging slightly closer in attempt to intimidate her, I notice her fingers tighten around the gun, but they relax again when one of the guys grunt in warning.

Hmm, how odd.

I'm going to get down to the bottom of this.

Eventually, after my food.

Giving up on the woman, I go inside. But when I turned around, I swear I heard her sigh in releif, but that was probably just my imagination.

River tells me alot that I have a big imagination. I take it as a compliment.

In the kitchen, I find Mom cooking breakfast, which smells like bacon and eggs.

"Hey, sweetie," she greets perkily, grinning over her shoulder at me from where she stands at the stove. "How are you feeling?"

When I first woke up this morning, I had this nasty headache for some reason. Mom gave me some Aspirin and my head feels almost completely healed. "Better."

"I told River you were awake, he wanted to speak with you. But before he gets here, just tell me, why did you leave last night?"

Leave?

"I left?"

"Yes, you went to a party. Without my permission, might I add," she says unhappily, poking the bacon gingerly and yanking back when grease shoots up and burns her.

I don't remember leaving last night. I don't even remember waking up!

Maybe I was abducted. Maybe some aliens came down from some far off solar system and kidnapped me!

No, Thia, this is just your big imagination talking.

But it's definitely what happened. They probably thought I was too savage to be left here with the poor humans and took pity on them.

It had to happen sooner or later.

I just didn't think it would be so soon! I don't want to have to leave everyone, especially River! What if they need my superior protection skills and I'm not there because the aliens came back for me?!

Holy chicken nuggets!

Am I even me?!

Feeling my face frantically, I run to the downstairs bathroom and look in the mirror, desperately searching for any signs of hosts inside of me.

When I hear River talking to my mother at the door, I'm torn between running to him and flying into his arms, and running away from him in order to protect him from myself.

I, being the selfless person that I am, run out of the bathroom and up the stairs as quick as lighting.

Heck, I was so fast, I bet he didn't even hear me until later when the sound finally caught up.

Yeah, that's right. I broke the sound barrier.

Oh no! The alien's powers are already starting to develop in my no-longer-human body!

Hearing heavy footsteps follow me up the stairs, I gasp in horror.

"Where are you, Angel?"

Crap! I can't let him see me, I probably have started transformation! I look like a freak already!

Stealthily, I dive beneath my bed, but end up hitting my head in the frame.

"Ouch!" Covering my mouth and wound simultaneously, I slowly, awkwardly scoot underneath the bed.

I hear him chuckle deeply and discover that he has already reached my room.

Oh well, if he checks underneath the bed--and I doubt he will--I can just turn invisible. I mean, sure I haven't actually tested out my amazing abilities yet, but I'm sure I'll be a natural.

"Oh, Thia," he sings, slowly walking around my room and peeking in different places.

Ha! He'll never find me!

It's not like anyone ever checks beneath the--

"Boo!"

I scream in surprise, again hitting my head on the bed frame.

He laughs heartily as I desperately scramble away from him.

"Stay away, River! It's for your own good!"

However, he ignores my wishes of keeping him safe and reaches towards me, hooking his finger through my belt loop. Effortlessly, he drags me towards him, out from under the bed. "C'mere, you."

"No," I wail, desperately searching for a place to hold on. "Don't look at me!"

Amidst all my struggles, my belt loop rips and I'm freed. Immediately, I scramble back under the bed, trying to hide my most likely hideous green face.

Growling in frustration, he somehow grabs my arm and yanks me out into the open.

Surprisingly, though, his face doesn't contort in disgust, but instead softens tenderly. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I know I look horrendous! You don't have to point it out," I gasp dramatically, making a last feeble attempt at covering my face.

Suddenly, I'm jerked into a sitting position before him as he grips my shoulders gently, but firmly. "Don't you ever say things like that! You are beautiful! I will not have my woman think low of herself! You are my queen and I expect you to act like one!"

I did not expect that.

"I know that!" Exasperated, I scowl and explain, "But the alien inside of me isn't! Now get away before one gets to you too!"

Shocked, he releases his grip, clearly confused, until realization dawns on him a few seconds later, when I'm halfway out the door.

His booming laughter follows me as I race down the stairs with him hot on my heels.

"You don't have an alien inside of you," he calls after me, right before he snags my waist and pulls me tightly against him. "You're imagining things again, baby."

"You sure," I ask hesitantly, my voice muffled by his hard chest.

"Positive."

"Oh good." I pull away slightly, grinning up at him, "You had something you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, yeah. Why did you go out without telling me last night?"

Again with this same accusation! "I didn't, I didn't even wake up last night!"

"Are you sure," he asks, the look in his eye telling me that he knows something I don't.

"Yeah?" Confused, I frown up at him inquiringly.

"Suppose I'll just have to talk to Amanda about it then, since you were too drunk."

Gasping in surprise, I shake my head, denying such a horrific act, "But I wasn't!"

With a mysterious smirk lifting his perfect lips, he shrugs and pulls me back into his embrace. "Whatever you say, love."