He followed her to the bedroom door almost out of habit. It felt like only days ago this was his and dad's house, not a seventeen-year old girl's house, and the room she was going to right now was his. In reality it had been months since frilly underwear began to make its appearance around the house.

Tess swung open the bedroom door, looking at Kyle over her shoulder. "What? Why are you following me?"

"It's much easier to annoy you if you're within the vicinity of my --" Kyle was interrupted by Tess.

"What? Mocking words?" Tess put her hands above the area of her heart and sighed dramatically. "Oh Kyle, you wound me with your words."

"You are so not a funny person, err, alien. Whatever." Kyle turned around and walked back to the living room, sitting down on the couch. How could he hate and like her so much at the same time?

"What are you so afraid of anyway?" Tess asked standing behind the back of the couch. She kneeled forward, the side of her face inches within his, and whispered into his ear, "What's got Kyle's panties into such a knot, huh?"

His breathing ragged from the feel of her breath inside him, he shivered involuntarily as she smiled with pride. He was so easy to manipulate. She didn't even have to use her powers. It was child's play.

"I'm not, I'm afraid" She could be so frustrating sometimes, but she challenged him like no one else took the time to do.

"Of becoming one of us," Tess finished, grimacing. "A freak."

"That's not what I said," Kyle said, standing up defensively.

"No, but it's what you wanted to say and what you meant." Tess turned away. "I don't blame you, Kyle. We are just a bunch of freaks, who even knows what exactly we are."

"You are so much more than that," he said softly, the softness of his voice surprising her and even himself.

He put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the smooth curve of her bare skin beneath his hand. God bless spaghetti straps, he thought, and no bras. He told his mouth to be quiet, just so they could continue in this silent pause, this stance with his hand on her shoulder, but he needed to make amends. He hated it when she got upset. Her face got all crinkled and he felt like shit.

"May be it wouldn't be all that bad to be like you. We'd only be even more family," he said.

"Like hybrid brother and sister? I don't think so," Tess replied, waving her hand in the air. Inside, she loved the idea. He'd probably pay more attention to her than her real family did. Heck, he already did. "But you know what, you really welcomed us into your world and especially me into your family, so I'm sure we'd accept you into our family even if you did grow green, lumpy skin or begin to levitate in bed."

"Lame-o, make Kyle freak out jokes must stop now," he commanded.

"No way, b-ball man. What would Buddha say of a dozen guys showering together?"

Tess smiled at him and he tried desperately to come back with a retort. He hated how she could do that to him with just a smile and how she knew exactly what she was doing to him at the same time. All he could muster was "Princess."

"That's Queen of Antar to you," Tess shot back.

"Yes, your highness." He kneeled in front of her and bowed repeatedly until he couldn't stop a smile from breaking through.

"You're such a doofus," Tess replied through laughter.

"Tess," Kyle called, the seriousness of his voice surprising Tess, "do you ever feel abandoned?"

Tess looked at him with a questioningly. "What kind of a question is that? You sure know how to ruin a party, Kyle."

"I'm serious," he said solemnly, sitting down on the couch again. She followed, making sure to sit at the opposite end of the couch. Safety first. "I don't understand. Why this question? Why me?" she asked.

"I thought it was something we could share on. My mom left meyou left your whole life." Kyle stopped to allow her to answer, but no sound came from her end of the couch. Maybe he was broaching a touchy subject, but he felt that after living with Tess for months, he deserved to know the real Tess and that meant beyond the frilly underwear. "Okay. Fine, another question: What are you so afraid of? What is it?"

"Human emotion is not my forte," she whispered. "I wasn't brought up to feel it so therefor I can't answer your question."

"That can change. Just because you were brought up that way, doesn't mean you have to be that way."

"It's not so easy"

"Yes, it is, which is exactly the point. It's so much easier to pass life by day in and day out when you're not feeling. So much easier to not regress." He scooted to her end of the couch. "But it's not gonna kill you to feel, Tess. It's not that awful to feel. So god damn it, Tess, feel," he said his voice rising. Feel what I feel, he wanted to shout out.

He took a deep breath to collect himself and stood up. He couldn't believe he'd come so close. He looked back down at her, but her face was cast downwards. He tapped her on the shoulder, but she just shrugged his hand off and muttered something under her breath. He whispered "I'm sorry," but she still didn't say anything. He'd pushed the red button. He began to walk away when he felt her hand on his arm, pulling him back. He turned to face her and saw a rainbow, a smile glowing out from beneath a cascade of tears.

"What ever happened to trimming my lamp? It's in serious need here," she said, smiling.

"Everything in it's own time and place." He had her word, which was all he needed for now.

"You're the expert, Buddha boy."