A GIFT OF TIME

Episode 20

"Claire, if I get the thing right, these f*****g creatures are rare right?" Danny asked not looking a bit intimidated at the increase in number of imposters in the house. 

"yeah?" I answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"good. It'll be an honor reducing their population. Will leave these two pretending to be your parents. I'll deal with the rest of them for clashing my family dinner" Danny gravelly said his face fierce and his jaw tightened in obvious anger. He removed another g*n from his pants to shoot quite randomly. I blinked furiously to rid myself of the shock as Danny started to shoot. The Ghafils tried to run but met their fate as Danny always noticed a fleeing one. Loud Shrieking, screeching, whimpering, and breaking of furniture filled the house as wounded or probably dead Ghafils fall from the stairs. The Ghafil imitating my mom was frozen in place properly terrified as every single Ghafil in the room was taken down by Danny while I point my own g*n at the whimpering Ghafil. 

"He's getting away" Charlie informed as the original imposter pretending to be my father made the run for it. I abruptly turned to him and shot him in the leg before he could successfully break the window. 

"wow" younger Nick exclaimed shocked and impressed at older Nick's skills. 

"dude, how did you learn to do that!?" Charlie asked eyes widened in disbelief. Danny suddenly developed a smug smile on his face. He seem contented with himself after having more than Ghafils laying carelessly on basically everywhere in the room. 

"you know the answer to that" Danny shrugged. 

"Danny why don't you ensure this one stay put while I move to interrogate this one" . I suggested leaving the imposter pretending to be my woman for Danny while I deal with my fake dad. The imposter who had pretended to be my father whimpers loudly as he rested at his back against the kitchen wall as a result of his the wound on his leg. He screeched immediately I moved close. 

"for an alien, you're ridiculously dumb. No matter how much you tried to imitate us. Control us, you'll always meet some you can't beat. I do not want to Kill you. Because I have a friend. your kind. So I'm gonna plead. Where are my parents?" I implored searching the aliens eyes warily. He was quiet and seem quite reluctant to talk and it was starting to make my blood boil.

"Claire, Let don't you let me handle him will you?" Danny's suggestion had the boastful smile he had on his face disappear and replaced by a mischievous smirk making him look fierce and quite intimidating. 

"Charlie get those two together. I need to go get something" Danny requested suddenly moving out the house but did something that made us all flinch and make the Ghafils let out a sharp shrill. A Ghafil laying right on our table half dead stirred from unconsciousness and Danny had stick another hole in its head. 

"I think Danny has a personal grudge on these things. How could he be so spiteful? While kill them coldly?" Nicholas asked, with the same confused on Charlie's face like they share similar thoughts. I have no idea what will make Nicholas kill all if them with hesitation, but judging from the look of it he seem to have a reason. 

" hey, fake mom, now shoo, join your husband and be a good girl" My brother smiled ushering my fake mom to join the wounded ghafil who was now getting pale. 

"I seriously do not understand you creatures. I mean why come here?. Why abduct my parents?. Are you trying to get me to surrender, so you resorted to dirty tricks after failing to put a bounty on my head?. Is that it" my grating voice made the creatures whine and whimper because my brows my furrowed tight and I felt every ounce of my energy turning to rage as my eyes burn in fury. 

"I'm telling. You had better hope my parent's fine because if not I will rip your eyes out." I menaced prying the creatures with my eyes. 

"that might actually works too" it was Nicholas voice. He had left to only God knows where while he delayed us to take care of the vile creatures who abducted my parents. Nicholas reappear with a fire extinguisher, something that looked like a small container of kerosene and matchbox which hopefully will be empty. 

"um Danny, what are you doing?" I asked completely finding his whole charade weird. He gave me an half smile in response briefly meeting my gaze as he made his way closer to the creatures. And right in front of us. Danny took up the container of what I presumed to be kerosene and wet them with it. 

"if you've imitated humans longer enough I believe you know the name of the liquid I just poured on you" Danny quirked his brows while waiting for the aliens and us to figure out his plan. The creatures tried to move away from him while he lit a match. 

" Danny you'll kill them" I remonstrated trying not to make it sound like a protest while moving up to stop him but he shrugged and gave me his cold smile. Haven't seen that cold side of him. 

"don't worry, I'll be gentle" that was all he told me while he moved closer to with a lighted match in his hand.

"Danny" I called softly but his face was blank. Void of any emotions. I couldn't read him and definitely didn't know what he was thinking but neither ways I wasn't going to let him commit a homicide in my father's house. Danny bent and held the lighted match not too far from the aliens who was now backing up against the wall leading to the kitchen. 

"now you tell us or I'm gonna be burning you down" he menaced his lips curved into a devilish smirk. How could he act so cold? I wondered as I stared at him. But he seem quite firm in his decision because as the aliens hesitate he dropped the lighted match. 

"Holy s**t!" I cursed as it fell on the cold marble floor right in front of the aliens who let out a shrill cry backing right away but they were completely trapped but fortunately for them the match died off on hitting the floor but that didn't stop the reaction as everyone seem to jump at his maniac action.

"oops, my bad" Danny let out a soft chuckle moving even closer to the frightened alien. 

"Danny this is too dangerous" I protested as he lit yet another match. The alien realized Danny was quite solemn and firm in his decision to burn them alive after he dropped another match that died off upon hitting the ground but all of us saw a pool of kerosene right in front of him now. He had moved close and was prying on the pooled kerosene which had drizzle away from the aliens body. Danny was seriously gonna burnt them alive if they don't speak up. 

"why ask, you're gonna kill us either ways" the woman panicked and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. But I was reluctant to stop. Danny because I was desperate to know my parents location. I feared for them.

"okay, let's make a deal" Danny started folding his arms against his chest while still holding his g*n and the matchbox. 

"I let you live and you tell us their location and don't worry. I'm a man of my word" Danny sounded humorous as he grinned while staring at the imposters. 

"the room behind the stairs. A lab" the woman immediately replied and Danny smiled. 

"good job guys. But the thing is. We have to be certain you are not lying right now" Danny turned to me after his statement making me rush to check my parents in their lab and trust me it was a huge one. A beautiful design the beakers, cylinders bunsen burners and every other science equipment you can think of. Wonder why I hadn't been there. 

"mom" I called and I heard a heavy thud hammering from a closet door where some science equipments rested. I heard muffled call but I couldn't make it out. I did moved to the closet door either ways. I waisted. Slowly opening up to see my parents gagged, tied and bundled into a tiny closet that only one could fit. My dad fell and rolled over immediately I opened the door. He was saying something against the rag in but I couldn't make it out as. I quickly removed it. 

"dad" I hugged him immediately I let lose the rag in his mouth. 

"oh goodness Claire is that you, it's you right?" he sounded confused scared, nervous and upset. 

"it's me dad. I'm so sorry" I cried into the crook of his neck. The unyielding effort of my mom trying to get herself out of the confinement drawn my attention to her and I immediately moved to her, helped her out and removed the rag in her mouth. 

"mom" I cried happy to see her. I was so scared. I was terrified. I wouldn't know what to do of anything happened to them. I immediately removed the ropes tied against their hands and legs to release them from the uncomfortable position as they had their hands pulled to their back. 

"oh my God Claire" my mom cried hugging me so tight. It was obvious how happy she was to see me. My mom broke down into tears maybe of joy, or probably as result of the trauma they just went through but my mom was crying. The pain was quite obvious on their faces and I could guess how horrifying what they had just went through must have been. 

"Claire" Charlie's voiced echoed immediately he slumped in with a g*n in his hands. He saw us at the end of the lap and quickly run up to us. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief to see them regardless of mom weeping. My dad moved closer to her to give her a soothing hug. My mom turned into his chest and sobbed even louder. 

"this was what I was afraid of dad. Putting you in danger. I was scared" my voice sounded brittle and my throat hurt from having to hold back my tears. 

"mom, dad... I'm so sorry" I apologized my voice cracking as I sniffled. My mom huffed a breath and turned to me with a warm gaze. 

"no, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault Claire. We could have been more stronger to fight our way out but. They trapped us. How did you managed to find us?" my mom asked sniffling as she struggled to stop her sobs. 

"the lens. Made us realize they were fake" I answered my hands cleaning the tears escaping my eyes. 

"Danny and one of our team members helped too. They are in the living room" Charlie added and I nodded vigorously. My mom smiled in response and palmed my face. 

"I'm proud of you. You managed to get to us" my mom remarked and I gave her a cute smile. 

"let's get you out of here" Charlie proposed and my parents stood though my mom's knees and she staggered probably as a result of being cramped up in a position for too. 

"you need help mom?" Charlie offered moving to their mother's side to help her stand right. Charlie threw her hands over her shoulders and walked them out. Nicholas sighed in relief at seeing them all out together sound and safe. 

"Hi Mr Chadwick" Danny grinned and my dad gave a tired smile in response before turning to join his wife at staring horrified at the scene in front of them. Can't blame them though. I mean we have dead Gail's who looked exactly like our parents populating our sitting room. That was. Clearly disturbing. Danny turned back to the alien who had relaxed a little probably convinced Danny would be letting them go. But we can't let them go. Not just yet. Because my mind suddenly pointed something for me. 

"thanks folks. I might actually let you live but I can't really let you go-

" but we can. If you do us a favour" I cut in and Danny arched his brows at me in question. 

"but first, a friend of mine. Hero... He let us run and stayed behind. He's your kind. Have you seen him by any chance?" I asked and they shook their head.

"no we haven't" The woman answered as the man was too weak to. 

"if you help us. I'll save your friend. He's dying" I wagered and she turned to the poor man who was looking so pale and fragile.

"please-

" or we can just threaten them? " Danny whispered and I shot him a glare. He still have an explanation to give about the dangerous stunt he'd just pulled but I'll rather not dwell on that. 

" I haven't seen him but I can help you find him, if I do that. Will you help him? Will you let us go?" she questioned. 

"we cannot-

" we can. We will let you go. I promise " I interrupted Danny who had a surprise look on his face but he recovered from it rather quickly. Too quickly for anyone else to make out. 

"Claire, you want us to let them go. They'll rat us to the rest of them" Danny make-known but I pretty much made up my mind. This was my chance to save Hero. This was my chance to repay the favor he did for us. 

"we can't stay here again anyway. So I won't let my chance to save Hero slipped. 

" why does the boy matter so much to you? " okay that was quite shocking, it couldn't be Danny, the old Nick who said that can it, I wondered as I stared at him with a shocked expression. 

"Danny, Hero stayed behind to save us-

" how could you be so sure. He might have done that to go back to his kind. He never truly felt free around us anyway " he frowned. I found him really absurd for being jealous of Hero. He was an alien for crying out loud. What is wrong with him. Was this the grudge he was holding against his kind. Was that the reason why he showed no remorse to killing the other of his kind?. I wondered and I scoffed. 

"this is ridiculous Danny. Hero is our friend" I prod meeting Danny's angry stare. 

"are you sure? Because I don't know anymore. Why are you so worried about it. For f**k sake Claire he's a freaking alien!" his sudden outburst made me flinch. Maybe all of us because I saw him meeting everyone's gaze before storming out. I pretended not to be affected and turned back to my parents. 

" mom, we are going to have to drive you to the workshop. Please save this alien while I look for Hero. We would release the alien once Hero is back to us safely" I ventured and my mom sighed. 

"seeing how strong you've grown made me proud. Be safe honey" my mom appeased and I smiled after seeing the satisfied look on my dad's face as well. 

"Charlie, help mom and dad get few of their things. Drive them to the workshop with Nicholas. I'll deal with Danny myself. We'll wait for you guys... Also, bring Tanya with you" I added and Charlie frowned. 

"why bring Tanya?" he asked sounding confused and clueless. 

"she sent me a mail this morning. Told me she finally figured out how the language works and could understand them. So if we really want to get Hero. I think we need her by our side. It's a great disadvantage if we can't understand them" I explained and my brother pondered before nodding in agreement. 

"but first Charlie. Do me a favor by locking her up in the basement. She will have to take us to Hero. We can't risk letting her go get him for us" I requested and my brother sighed. 

"you might need these" my mom offered the same ripen that had been used to die them for a Charlie while battling her lashes at the alien that looked like her.

" unfortunately that's true. My brother acknowledged and I scoffed before making my way outside. I met Danny sitting right on the porch outside looking wary and disturbed. 

" can we talk? "I ask and he was immediately distracted turning to acknowledge my presence. He sighed and stood. I had to lead him upstairs because my room was the only place I could assure him. I slammed the door, locking it immediately after we were in. 

" Claire what-

" I didn't give him the chance to speak retort or fight as quickly invade his mouth. He needed to know just how much I care. He needed to know I love him. He needed to know I wasn't interested in Hero as he thought I was. Maybe I was curious about the alien but I do love Nick. 

"Claire, Claire" he called out in protest while I tug at the hem of his shirt but it only come as whiny moans. 

"Claire stop!" Danny said halting my actions. 

"okay I get it" Danny hoarsely pointed as we stared intensely at each other. 

"I know it's silly but I don't like how you cared for him Claire. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I shouldn't have" Danny apologized and I smiled letting him claim my lips again. I was enjoying every moment of it when the light went off and every appliances got turned off. 

"they are close" I muttered as my heart hammered against my chest. 

"yes" Nicholas agreed. 

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