Trying to busy her mind with cleaning, thinking that putting her aggression into scraping gum off of cans, tables, chairs, walls and counters would help, the more she dwelled, the harsher she scrubbed. The palms of her hands pulsing red, she didn't care.

How did lead end up in the meat? It baffled her to oblivion. It was minuscule enough not to harm him, but a mistake was a mistake. Being that it was perfectly cubed, there was no way for a simpleton like herself to carry that around. It had to have come from the lab.

But why?

"Lara Lloyd? I wanted to speak with you real quick,"

a sharp voice cutting into her internal banter, she froze. Throwing her off-guard, the broom she held clumsily slithered from her hands and to an embarrassing clump on the floor.

As Jason Ravn, a lead biologist, stalked up from a nearby corridor, her face rapidly flushed. "Um, yes. Of course!"

Ravn hadn't acted like the goof bothered him, nor indicated if he noticed. "I know this is rather sudden, but I have some questions you might be able to help me with regarding our newest specimen."

Not completely understanding where this was going, she quickly nodded. Appropriating his stance, the white coat he wore fluctuated as a peppered head balanced itself on her.

"Have you observed changes in Beta-507 involving his environment?" His face stern and serious, she was beginning to feel as if she had done something terrible.

In the perfect example of a fish, her mouth opened and closed. Yes, she wanted to say, he's a total jackass that's been messing with us, however, she didn't feel like being interrogated today.

"Other than being ornery about certain things, not really," evenly, she answered.

"Ornery?"

"I mean..." Her hands flew upwards in defense. "Sometimes, he doesn't like the plants."

He and her both knew that answered nothing pertaining to the importance of his question. Still, either to appease her or to better understand, he moved his head mechanically in what she hoped was a nod.

"Any other," pausing, his tongue darted out to moisten dry lips, "significant changes in behavior?"

What answer did he want from her? She hadn't been his caretaker that long to provide anything of value. None of them had.

Honing composure, she innocently queried, "I apologize if I'm misunderstanding, but what sort of changes are you looking for?"

A nose pointed above, brown eyes pinned in on her.

"Food, sleep, social interaction, habits?"

In truth, there was no point to this. She'd be as helpful to him as a toilet-paper roll put on the outside of a bathroom. And as much as she tried to conjure a good response, her brain wasn't having it.

A sigh left her chest accompanied by sunken shoulders. "He does eat well. During those specific interactions, he'll tolerate me." A slow smile crawling onto her mouth, she looked to the ground. "Which says a lot about his social interaction."

Ravn nodded, encouraging her to continue. She scratched her head for recollection. "I don't know anything about his sleeping pattern, sorry. Uh, as for habits... He likes to tap on the glass if that counts?"

She must have sounded so ill informed and far from the brink of knowledgeable, but it wasn't a lie and it would have to suffice.

Arms folding, his head bent as he looked towards the ceiling. "How does he react to human females, such as yourself?"

A brick of stupefaction squashed her logic and she distinctly faltered. What did he say? Did she hear him right?

"I - I'm not sure."

Feigned surprise loitering his guise, he probed, "Really? We've not gotten a chance to test our theories in terms of speciation related attraction. However, you are with him often, so I assume there has been some curiosity shown if so?"

The meaning behind his questioning coming to formation on her face in pruned epiphany, she deserved an award for how fast she had recovered.

Killing emotion from her tone, she retorted, "I don't know how he reacts to the others, but he's been indifferent when it comes to me."

Attempting to evaluate a proper reasoning for why she wasn't a good candidate, Ravn made no subtle motion as he looked her up and down.

Like there was something wrong with her.

"Our research has claim that their biology differs from the average human," a tad loud, he supplied. Lowering his tone, he pushed a foot into her boundary zone. "Between us, we are still unsure when sexual maturity may rear. Their life expectancy has been proven to be substantially greater than ours, so we are looking for signs to validate those findings. If you would be kind as to keep watch, we would appreciate it."

Though the information revealing, she couldn't stop the frown forming on her lips. A smug look overcoming a triumphant face, Ravn acted as though he had shared a grand secret she couldn't grasp within her puny brain.

In habit, she darted her eyes to the broom. The quip that slipped from her mouth unintentional, it was too late to take it back, "Maybe he likes guys?" Fruitlessly, she shrugged off the remark.

"Maybe," Jason countered as smoothly, not at all hidden that he didn't believe it a bit.

If it were his intentions to offend her womanly features, it was working. Becoming flustered, her fingers slid along the broomstick, praying it got the point across that she was done.

Resuming an aloof air of confidence, he sighed. "I suppose I should go."

She forced a smile. Skeptically, briefing her, he turned. Her smile breaking, the broom was shoved at a gnarly looking corner of dirt.

Seriously? They barely knew each other, and he was already backhandedly insulting her? She should send him some sugar, it was only fair. He probably had no neighbors or family willing to hack at the ice around his poor, frozen heart.

Gross to imagine herself kissing ass, she needed the brownie points if he thought that lowly of her charm.

Jabbing at crevices, her aggression effortlessly returned, and increased.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Talking Vince into taking her stead for the night - she promised to buy his lunch for a week, actually - and planning to head home early, she required the extra time to decide if she should alert the scientists about 507. It was a terrible situation to be in when both parties weren't cordial to begin with.

Okay, perhaps she was being too hard on the creature when comparing them. In her defense, he didn't give her a lot to go on. She wasn't the one who decided he would make a pretty picture on some National Geographic magazine. If it were up to her, she'd let the unknown remain unknown. He was taking unmerited anger out on her and her co-workers merely because he viewed them all the same, and it peeved her.

Though, in a way, he was technically right.

The awestruck gazes of everyone struggling to fit in a singular room to get a fascinated glance at him stayed on her mind. She hadn't been innocent; she was as guilty as those sets of leering eyes. Yet, never once did he seem interested in any of them.

As if humans were below his kind.

On the chilly walk home, she stopped mid-step, a new idea making its way to her. If he had baited and played this entire experience, she highly doubted that because she caught on, he would drop the facade.

In fact, he was probably waiting to see what she would do. And if that were true, she could hold off saying anything about him to anyone. Instead, she would play the game, too. Because, why not?

An inane laugh escaping her throat, cold air filled the cavity. "I'll play your game, fish-boy."

"Lara?" the feminine voice sent an electric shock through her.

Unknowingly standing in her driveway with hands tucked neatly into the comfort of her jacket; up ahead was her aunt. Evident concern written on the woman halted on the stairs of their porch, Jessica huddled a coat closer to her body.

"Sweetheart, are you talking to yourself?" Jessica pursed upon finalizing her sentence. "And who's fish-boy?"

Buying time for an excuse, Lara shot off towards the porch. Out of breath, a short laugh strained against her chattering teeth on nearing the woman. "Just a nickname for a... new fish."

A pair of imaginary hands clapped then.

Her aunt bought it with a wary grin. "I see." Gruffly, she placed a hand on each side of Lara's shoulders. "I made dinner. Now we can put some weight on these things." None the gentler, icy hands rubbed at stiffened shoulder blades.

Rolling her eyes, Lara followed the woman into the warm home. Welcoming scents and the smell of what she guessed was lasagna wafting, her stomach fought entering a chaotic fit.

Both women seated at the table, Lara's mouth jarred to the view of a large pan housing a meaty meal topped with sizzling layers of cheese. The smell intoxicating, it was torture to wait a second longer.

Grabbing her plate and the nearest utensil, she went for it. Her efforts stifled when Jessica waved a finger at her, Lara dejectedly sat back.

"I wanted to talk to you," placing a napkin flat on the table, her aunt quietly started.

Despite her curiosity at the sudden seriousness of her aunt, Lara's eyes kept drifting to the cooling dish. "Yeah?"

Casually, Jessica materialized a spatula from who knew where and began shuffling under the layers of lasagna. Her gaze set, the prior grin was forgotten.

Very calmly, she retrieved the plate beside her and shook off a stubborn piece of cheese stuck to the spatula. "I'll be leaving soon."

Lara's appetite immediately died. "What?"