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My Bian Cara dragged Taru all over the place. She took him to the
movies, the arcade, to a fair that was being held. They arrived on
Earth in a large city (somewhere) at early noon, and snacking
throughout the day, it was only when the weather grew slightly chilly
that she realized just how long they had been out.
Taru smiled. He had never seen her like this before, so in awe and so …
happy. He watched her, leaning against the railing that overlooked the
river and the city line.
“What is it?” reaching for the last of the popcorn, she smiled.
“Nothing.” Taru tilted his head. “I’ve just… never seen you like this.”
Bian smiled, and blushed. She was usually so reserved, but this was
different. This was the first time she had actually been out, among the
streets of Earth. The request had first surprised her, and then she had
felt so wary but now…
“Don’t you like it?” she asked, anxious as always. Spending time with
him, like this and doing things that… (dare she say it?) couples did,
had made her feel so deliriously happy.
Taru laughed. “You should smile, more.” He said simply. “We’ll have to
head home soon.” He remarked.
Bian made a face. She was still hungry. “Come on.” She urged. “Can we
get some ice cream?” she asked.
Taru shook his head, suppressing a smile. “We have all this food back
at home, why don’t you…”
Bian smiled. “This is different.” She said, and it was. Back at home,
Taru wouldn’t buy her ice cream, and only her. He wouldn’t smile at her
like that and she wouldn’t be able to hang onto his arm, watching the
streets. For a moment, the shades slipped down her eyes and she
hurriedly pulled them back up. She didn’t want others to see her eyes,
but she didn’t want him to see them either. “Please?” she asked.
“As if I would say no.” he said, chucking her chin. “Come on, I know a
deli around the corner—“
And then they stopped.
“Taruboshi?” three men in normal street clothes and an odd inflection
in the eyes. “We’d like you to come with us.”
Taru tensed immediately, stepping in the way so that they couldn’t see
Bian. But she could hear them, and smell them and she smelt power and…
She stiffened, her eyes opening in shock. She knew that scent, that
odd, tilted scent that she couldn’t forget, even after six years.
Her shades clattered to the ground, and the men stilled, looking behind
Taru to see a young girl with odd, feline eyes.
“I know that one.” One of them said quietly. “Species 63452. She went
missing a couple of years back during a renegade expedition.”
My Bian Cara didn’t question how they knew it was her. They knew these
things, and Taru backed them away, slowly.
“Now, men.” He said easily. “You wouldn’t try anything in public, would
you?”
“We’d like you to come with us, before we cause a commotion.” One said
levelly. “There’s no need to alarm anyone else.”
“No need?” Taru said, his words hard. “I would think, there would be a
need.”
It was so cold.
And so hot.
My Bian Cara merely stared at the men, stared at the memories. How long
had it been, since she had been hooked up to machines, since she had
been forced to run, jump, do all those things. How long had it been
since she had felt that safe, familiar shape of her feline?
It had been so long, she couldn’t remember any more…
