I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh, biting back a small sigh of relief because I was grateful that Timothy had my back while my father did this for me. "Ready?" I asked and looked at him, raising an eyebrow in question while I studied him with a small frown on my face.

I am, my father said, and I couldn't help but mentally roll my eyes and scowl at him, earning a small chuckle of amusement from the man that was going to be doing this for me. I would say that we had enough time, but we have to get moving so that we can go to the armory. We are running out of time if you want to get everyone out safely.

"Absolutely not, but I do not think that we have a choice," Timothy said and shook his head. He shifted on his feet before he cleared his throat and looked around before he looked at me. "We have been standing around for long enough, and I think that it would be for the best that we get started on doing whatever it was that he needs you to do before we go to the armory."

My father chuckled, amused. Smart man, he said. I like him.

Every once in a while, I grumbled, earning another chuckle from him. "He said the same thing." I shifted the gun in my hands and took a deep breath before I released it with a shaky whoosh, trying to steady my nerves before I did this, not sure if this was actually a good idea or not. "Remember your promise," I warned, tucking my head closer to his chest, and Timothy grew serious and frowned.

"I know," he said and nodded. "I am sure that your father and I will make sure that I don't have to follow through with it, however, so you have nothing to worry about." He flashed me a small smirk and a wink, and I couldn't help but growl softly and grit my teeth together.

He's right, my father said with a small hum in his voice, and he slowly nodded. We will make sure that he will not have to do it while you keep that promise to yourself and others. He paused and sighed sadly, and he mentally shook his head. I wish you had never made that promise, but that is not something I should worry about, huh?

I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line without saying a word about it. Just go ahead and do what you need to do, Dad, I grumbled while I stayed tense and nervous about what was to come. I do not know why you are taking too long to get this done.

Because I need you to relax and to trust me to keep you two safe while you open your mind to me fully, he said. You are far too tense for this to work properly, and it pains me that it will not work because of it.

Gee, I wonder why, I thought, forgetting a little that my father was still connected to me in that weird way he had set up when we first met each other again.

Images of my past filtered through my brain and into his where I had to continue to be on edge and tense because there had been times where even those that I was supposed to trust also turned against me or almost did, leading me up to almost getting killed.

Timothy must have known what was happening and why I was on edge because he groaned and moved a hand through his hair and across his face, ignoring the look that appeared on my face because he had stopped those images from appearing in my mind and going into his. "Oh, I am so going to get punched for this later, but I don't fucking care," he said and shook his head.

I cocked my head to the side and held onto my gun tighter. "Wh-" I couldn't finish what I wanted to say because the next thing I knew, a pair of lips were placed on mine, and my whole world seemed to freeze while both of my hearts stopped before they started to pound harder and faster in my chest.

Oh, Gods...

Timothy had one hand on my cheek while the other was on his gun, and both of my hands were clutching my gun as if to shield me from him and all of the feelings that I tried to hide because a part of me always thought that this was a trick and that Timothy didn't care about me in that way.

And why would he..?

He was one of the most popular and well liked men, even with him acting stupid on more than one occasion. He could have any girl at the Academy or even at Base, so why would he want to be stuck with me when I was the freak of nature born from a human mother and an alien father?

Timothy pulled away but stayed closer than what I had expected, especially since he was right about him almost getting punched. He pressed forehead against mine and searched my eyes for something, anything, while my father stayed silent. "Just let yourself fall and relax," he said and stroked my cheek with his thumb, his voice barely above a whisper. "I will catch you, and I do not plan on leaving you any time soon. Ok? You'll always be safe in my arms, even if you don't think you will be, Neeley. I had never wanted anyone but you from the first moment I had seen you get carried into the Academy in Briggs's arms that one fateful and beautiful day. I h-"

I didn't let him finish saying anything else while I grabbed him by the vest and pulled him closer to me. I shut him up by pressing my lips on his, and he laughed and kissed me back just as hard as I was kissing him.

My father took that opportunity to force me to open my mind to him, which I didn't care about, and I could tell that I slowly but surely started to feel different as if I was feeling his feelings on top of my own while I grew taller and more alien like.

I tried to pull away from Timothy while this was happening, but he moved his hand from my cheek and onto the back of my neck to keep my head there while I shifted into whatever form that my father needed me to be in so that he could help us.

Finally, after a while, and when I stopped shifting into whatever form I needed to shift into, Timothy pulled away first and removed his hand from the back of his neck. He opened his eyes and stared at me, not moving, especially since I had a tight grip on his vest and was holding him a foot off of the ground. He smiled at me, and I stared at him with a blank look on my face because I had no idea how I should process my emotions, especially since my father's presence was further in my mind than before. "Not bad," he said, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question, "for a first kiss. I do have to apologize, my Lord, for kissing you as well. I-um- I, ya..." He trailed off and shrugged, and his cheeks turned red when he blushed.

My father and I didn't say a word while I set him on the ground so that he would be on his feet, and he stayed put when I released him and stood my full height.

"Can you talk?" he asked and cocked his head to the side while he studied me, and I couldn't help but slowly blink and grab my gun tighter in my hand because I had no idea if I could talk or not.

"She can," my father said, using my mouth and my voice, even though it did sound weird to us. "And I can use her voice as well while we are like this. Your apology is accepted, and I am grateful that you were able to do it and help her get calm enough so that I can help you both."

Timothy nodded without saying another word, and his cheeks turned another shade of red.

"Hmph." My father used my face to smirk. "Now, come on," he said and nodded toward the direction he needed us to go in. "Let's go ahead and go. We are running out of time, and I want you both to get out of here safely with everyone that you two will save after this."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Timothy said and bowed before he stood, offering us a small hesitant smile. "If you lead the way, I will follow and make sure that your back stays safe."

My father smiled and nodded before he patted Timothy's shoulder, using my hand. "I am glad that my daughter has found someone like you, Son," he said. "You are a good kid, and I know that you will treat her well."

And with that, and without letting Timothy say another word, he used my body and turned to walk in the direction that we needed to go in to get to the armory where there was stuff for me to use that would be better than this.

Oh, Gods keep us safe...