Alan's transportation device was fantastic.

The seats were large and impressive, and there was a control panel that ran along the front window that he fiddled with for a bit before we drove home. 

I'm allowed to sit up front this time with an even better view of Roswell than before, but after a few minutes of looking outside, I suddenly feel so exhausted that I can't even muster up the strength to enjoy myself. Instead, I slump over in my seat, shivering as a sudden onslaught of pain and shock from my journey hits me all at once.

"Hang in there, honey. You're safe with me now, I promise." Alan's voice drifts over, and I feel him drape something over my shoulders that feels so warm and comforting that I almost find myself crying out in relief when it envelops me. 

How could such a creature be so kind to someone who had destroyed his home?

I timidly press my nose to the fabric covering me and sniff it a little while Alan drives. It smelled like Tralfamadorian, but it was a good scent—rich like the forests of Hadar, my birthplace. It was so good, in fact, that I slowly began to drift off to sleep, my knees tucked close for comfort.

Tau warriors did not have very many dreams.

In fact, they did not sleep very much, either. Unless their bodies were physically exhausted, they could go for weeks without needing much more than a few clicks of sleep. I had been the only exception, lagging behind everyone unless I had a deep rest to keep me sane and functioning. 

Because of this, there's a point where I can't recall most of what happens next. Alan takes me to his home—a blurry set of buildings in the distance that looked like a large fortress. He gets out, comes around to open my door, and then proceeds to stand there for a moment before trying to lift me out of my seat. 

As soon as I feel his hands on my torso, everything that I learned in combat training comes flooding back. And combined with my exhaustion, I'm not thinking enough to make a proper judgment when I attack Alan on the spot.

"You do not have permission to touch me!" I yell and twist around in his hold while kicking out as hard as I can, both my feet slamming into his chest. Startled, Alan doesn't even have time to shout when we both go flying out of the car and land on the hard pavement. 

"Whoa! Hold on a second, I just--" Alan freezes as I straddle him and push my arm up against his throat, a very long, sharp blade sliding out of a slit near my wrist, liable to slice right through his main artery and bleed him out on the spot. I might have been a sorry excuse for a warrior, but I was also Tau, full of sharp little things for killing and maiming. 

"Don't touch me," I whisper again, breathing hard and fast as I lock eyes with him.

"I won't touch you, I swear to God!" He blurts, slowly raising his hands in what I assume is a sign of peace. "I'm sorry! I should have asked first, but you were sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you up."

I stare down at him, squinting.

He was surprisingly handsome, and those eyes I'd noticed when we first met were even more alluring than before. Despite this, I knew I had to maintain my strength and not allow this creature's attractiveness to get the better of me.

I study him a moment longer and then release my blade from his throat and sag forward on top of him, my head falling on his shoulder. "Permission granted," I whisper meekly. 

Alan carefully sits up, and I wrap my arms around his neck when he lifts me with a surprising amount of ease. It was a bit embarrassing to have him pick me up and carry me as if I were a small, helpless Tau on the first of their rotations, but I didn't have it in me to care at this point.

"How long have you been able to understand me?" Alan asks as he rounds a concrete path towards what I assume is his home. "Because I feel kind of like a dumbass right now."

"That is irrelevant," I muffle into his shoulder and then risk a peek and see that we've reached the front door to what he called an apartment. Just the thought of being held captive there was enough to make me want to bolt. I knew nothing about Alan or his kind, or if I was going to regret trusting him while I was so weak.

"I am putting great trust in you, Alan," I whisper into his ear. "Should I be worried?"

Alan turns his head slightly in my direction, the sun shining down on his golden skin. "I don't know where you're from or why you chose my bakery to crash into, but I'm not going to hurt you. I know the humans you've met so far haven't been that great, but I'm not like them. You have my word. Cross my fingers or whatever."

Humans?

"Alan," I say, and I pull back and look around wide-eyed. "Is this not Tralfamadore?"

"Tralfa--what?" He replies, "Uh, no? This planet's called Earth. I'm an earthling, little dude."