Outta This World

George and Grace looked at each other and nodded.

George said, "Well, we're gonna get going."

"Oh! Don't let me cut your visit short," Sheryl offered apologetically.

"No, we need to get back to the com... ranch anyway." Grace countered. "It's gonna be a busy couple of days for us."

Sheryl looked at John, then them, and said, "Somehow, I have a feeling it will be. It was lovely to meet you both."

George and Grace walked back to their truck more worried than they let John believe. They didn't like what Sheryl was implying. They hoped their son didn't make a mistake leaving the safety of their home.

*****

"Your parents seemed nice," Sheryl said as she watched Ari play with Orion.

John was lost in thought about the UFO sighting.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. They are good people. My whole family is nice."

"How's Ari doing with her dad gone?" He asked to change the subject.

"Happier."

It was so quick and abrupt; he didn't know how to respond.

She sensed his confusion and added, "He was abusive, John, and not just to me. He never had a kind word for her, and she was afraid of him."

He felt her sadness, then her relief. It was as if she were happy he was dead. John understood.

"He never wanted kids and was mad when my birth control failed. We weren't in love and never should have married, but someone, probably my father, convinced him marrying me would be cheaper than child support. He thought he could control me and for the most part, did. I went along with the marriage because my parents didn't want me to be a single mom. The whole thing was forced and doomed to fail."

"I'm sorry," John consoled.

She shrugged, "I'm not. I've got Ari, and she's worth all of what I went through. Now, she can be happier and so far she is."

"She deserves a good father," he said as he watched Ari tease Orion by lifting the ball just out of his jumping reach.

"Know any that are available?" Sheryl giggled.

He shrugged and laughed as Orion ran away from an annoyed Ari who wanted to keep teasing him.

"John, I want to apologize for what happened the last time I was over. I don't know what I was thinking."

He knew she was lying. He felt she was hiding something.

He frowned, "You scared me with that little stunt. I still don't understand what you thought I could do to stop you."

"Strange things have been happening, John. You have to admit that."

He nodded, "I understand how they may seem strange, but there's always a logical explanation. One that doesn't involve divine intervention."

"Oh, I don't think it was divine. I still think it was you."

He shook his head and said, "I don't know why. I assure you I don't have any sort of magic powers."

She shrugged her shoulders. "What do you really think about the UFO over Vegas. I can tell you've got some more thoughts on it."

He was unsettled by her question. He wondered what made her mention that after talking about him having special abilities. He understood he had been too cavalier with his abilities, but they were desperate situations. He finally understood why his parents didn't want him to leave the family compound. It wasn't just for his safety; it was for his family's safety and security as well.

He changed the subject, "You know, it's about lunchtime. Would you allow me to take you and Ari out for pizza or something?"

She wondered, only briefly if it would be a good idea. She couldn't deny her attraction to her handsome neighbor. She felt a spark the first day she met him when he moved in. She surprised herself when she brought him the lasagna dinner she was going to prepare for her family.

She couldn't explain the feelings she felt when she was in his presence. She felt serene, safe. Although, there was a creeping fear that would momentarily sweep through her after she saw what he could do to her husband.

He felt her shift from her calm feelings to a shimmer of fear, to arousal. He smiled at the thought of her wanting him as much as he wanted her. He understood why she sometimes was afraid when near him. It wasn't that she was afraid of him but that she was afraid of what he could do.

He resolved to hide it better.

"Yeah, we'd like that, thank you," she said after a moment of hesitation. Just before speaking she wondered what he'd be like in bed. Would he be rough and hurt her like Dave? Or would he be a gentle and kind lover? Would she let him show her? She feared she might. She was also afraid he'd see right through her façade.

*****

They watched Ari play in the ball pit and were both surprised to realize they were holding hands. Neither let go of the other and she lifted onto her toes and kissed his cheek, surprising him.

"Thank you for your kindness, John."

"It's not kindness, Sheryl. It's just how I am."

She smiled, not doubting the truth in his words. She noticed flashing lights by the pinball machines next to her and said, "Check it out."

He looked where she pointed and saw the Alien Invasion pinball game.

John faked a smile and said, "I agree with my dad. I bet they're little gray guys."

He felt her become afraid and squeezed her hand to comfort her.

"You're afraid of them," he said as she caught sight of a television near the table area. The news still showed coverage of the UFO which appeared over Las Vegas.

"I suppose I am. I feel safe when I'm with you though, isn't that silly?"

"Well, nothing will happen to you if I'm near." He winced when he said it. It was too intimate, let alone put his secrets too close to the surface.

"I believe you," she sighed and leaned her head into his chest. "I know what you can do."

He forced a laugh, "Don't start that again. You almost cut your hand last time."

"I am sorry. You must think I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not an idiot. There's just a lot that's happened to you in the last couple of months. Some of which is traumatic, and some is hard to explain."

"Yeah, but all of it was good when all was said and done."

He smiled and squeezed her hand, "I suppose it was."

*****

They were sitting on his large sofa at the end of a long day, and he smiled as he realized Sheryl had fallen asleep leaning into him as the movie played. Ari was asleep on the other sofa with Orion dutifully sleeping at her feet.

He saw Ari stir and sit up rubbing her eyes. "Can I go to bed now, Mister John?"

That caused Sheryl to wake and become embarrassed when she realized she was in John's arms.

"Let's get you to bed, Baby," Sheryl cooed and stood groggily.

"I'll walk you home," John smiled as Ari lifted her arms, silently asking for John to carry her.

Ari fell back asleep by the time he set her on her bed, and Sheryl said, "Stay a bit. I'll get her in her jammies and meet you downstairs. Help yourself to a drink or something."

"Sure," John said and made his way downstairs.

He took a bottle of water from her fridge and sat in Sheryl's living room.

He debated with himself on how slow to move with Sheryl or if to move forward with her at all. He had his secrets, and he wasn't sure how he could keep them hidden if they dated.

He hoped if she ever became his life partner she'd understand, but the likelihood of anyone accepting him fully was a difficult buy-in.

"A penny for your thoughts," she said as she walked into the room.

He smiled, "I was thinking about you, actually."

"Oh yeah?" she breathed and sat beside him on her love seat. "Good things?"

"Maybe," he teased.

She slid over and took the water from his hand. After taking a sip, she smiled and handed it back.

"John, may I be honest for a minute?"

"No, I'd rather you lie to me."

She rolled her eyes and leaned her head into his chest. She rested her hand on him and said, "I don't know what it is about you that draws me in. It's as if I have an urge to be near you. It's like an addiction."

John gave her a small chuckle, "I like you too, Sheryl."

She playfully slapped his chest, "Stop it! I'm trying to..."

He silenced her with a kiss. When their lips touched, hers tingled which sent a chill down her body. Her soft moan gave John permission to continue, and he opened his lips to suck her bottom lip softly.

"Oh, John!" she breathed as he trailed wet kisses down her chin stopping at the small spot behind the corner of her jaw, just below her earlobe.

She shivered again. It was her most sensitive erogenous zone and her body ached with desire.

He slid his hand along her side, up to the side of her breast, and rubbed her hardening nipple with his thumb.

"Wait!" she said and pulled back to the opposite side of the couch.

John sat up and asked, "Are you okay? Am I moving too fast?"

She smiled, "I don't know. Isn't this happening just a bit too fast for you?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I don't have a lot of experience with ladies."

He read her thoughts and she wanted him. She was afraid he would use her and leave her.

He took her hand and said, "I knew there was something special about you the first time I met you. I felt a connection with you I cant explain. It's blossomed into something more, something deeper, and you have to know, I'm not going anywhere."

He read her desire again and pulled her onto his lap.

"Who cares if it's fast or not, Sheryl? Can you sit on my lap and tell me you can't feel how much I want to be with you?"

"Watch it, Bub," she teased.

"I didn't mean it that way," he laughed, although she did feel his stiffness.

"Let's call it a night and go out for breakfast in the morning," she said, not really wanting the night to end.

He knew she wanted him to stay, but he didn't want to push her.

"Okay. I'll be here at seven."

*****

A month passed and Sheryl and John saw each other several times a week. They sat outside and watched Ari play with Orion. They watched TV shows together, one of which was the aliens show which John got a kick out of, and they went on dates with and without Ari.

They continued to escalate their couch sessions and Sheryl decided she wasn't going to hesitate any longer.

John knew playing it as slow as he was could be risky, but the advantages he had helped him ride the roller coaster of Sheryl's changing emotions. He knew Sheryl was ready to take the next step and he was glad she got a babysitter for their next date.

Sheryl had no idea he knew it was an overnight sitter.

After dinner that night, John wordlessly brought Sheryl into his house and up the stairs into his bedroom.

*****

They awoke at six am when John's phone rang. It was his father's ring tone.

"Yeah, Dad?" He grumbled, barely awake.

"Son! We're under attack."

"What? Who?"

"It was a surprise attack. We were sleeping. Everyone who could get out made it to the tunnel. You have to..."

The line went dead.

"Dad!" He shouted and jumped out of bed.

"What's going on?" Sheryl asked stumbling after him.

"My family's in trouble." He shouted as he put on his shorts. "I have to go."

Suddenly, there was an explosion at his front door. The entire house shook, and he fell into Sheryl.

"Shit!" He groaned.

"John, what's happening?"

"Go into my closet and type 4769 into the keypad on the back wall. Quick! I have to..."

His bedroom door was smashed in, and Sheryl looked in horror at the sight of the intruders.

They wore black jump suits and masks and had small guns in their hands.

"Go!" John yelled and just as happened to Dave; the attackers fell to the ground.

She heard more coming up the stairs and ran to the closet. She saw the keypad and entered the code incorrectly twice before finally calming her trembling fingers enough to do the simple task.

She gasped when she saw a stairwell and hurried up the hidden stairs.

Meanwhile, John crushed the brains of all but one of the attackers. That lone survivor was lifted off her feet and thrown into the bedroom wall.

She was dazed and John demanded, "Who are you and what do you want?"

She tried to fight, but his grasp on her mind was too strong.

In his people's home language, she said, "We are the Vasage. We want all of you dead."

"Vasage?" John thought. His grandparents told him stories of the old wars with the Vasage. They were ancient ancestors of his race and were long dead according to the stories.

"Why us? We have been gone from Inairtas for decades and can't return." Inairtas was his family's home planet.

"Revenge," she growled.

"I was told your people were extinct," he said as he looked to make sure there were no more coming.

"A small group of my ancestors escaped your genocide and hid in the bowels of the Eoj mountains. For centuries, we waited for the opportunity to take our world back and we finally had our victory."

John frowned. He had no ties to his family's home world as he and his parents were born on Earth, but he was saddened for his elder family, as they had close kin who were probably dead.

"How did you find out about us?" John asked as he packed a bag with clothes, preparing to make his escape.

"The lost expedition of Telot Seven was revered on your world," she said and spat on the floor.

"How many more of you are here?" He growled.

She fought as hard as she could to fight his mind control off. She failed.

"You've killed my entire crew. There are ten of us at your compound and five more at the other site."

"What other site?" John asked in shock. He didn't know of another group of his kind outside of the compound.

He saw the location in her mind and gasped.

"Don't move!" He ordered and hurried to the stairs leading to his attic's safe room.

He pressed a button on the intercom panel and said, "Sheryl, it's over. Come down."

He grabbed a silver metal box the size of a briefcase off the floor.

"What's going on?" Sheryl begged as she hugged him. Tears fell down her cheek.

"It's a long story. We have to go."

"Where?"

"I have to get to my family at our compound," he answered and led her back into the room. Sheryl gasped when she saw their attacker suspended off of the ground against the wall.

"I knew it!" She said.

"One last question," he said to Sheryl. "Then we're out of here and I'll explain everything."

"How many of my people survived on Inairtas?"

The woman laughed, "None of your genocidal race survived our reclamation."

It was the last thing she said, and her last thought was of her own race's genocide as her brain was crushed by John's mind.

When he looked into her mind, he saw the images of his home world's cities in ruin. He saw the torture of his people at the hands of the Vasage.

He heard sirens approaching and looked out of the hole where the front of his house used to be.

"I have to go help my family. Go to..."

He looked at Sheryl with shock and then fear.

"Oh, no!" He said. "You have to come along. I can't leave you unprotected. You're not safe anymore."

"What do you mean? I have to get to Ari."

"She's not safe with you right now. You have to come with me so I can keep you safe. When it's over we'll come back for your daughter."

John saw the Vasage craft on the street and smiled when he heard Orion yelp, glad his friend survived. He looked around the dark street and was surprised there was no one outside their homes and few lights were on.

"Orion, go!"

The dog yelped and ran across the street to the house where John pointed.

"There's no time. Let's go," he ordered as he grabbed some of the Vasage weapons. He stopped on his porch and closed his eyes. She gasped at the sight of the alien craft in front of them. It was the size of a school bus and looked like a shuttle craft from Star Trek.

"What are you doing? Sheryl shrieked as the bodies of the Vasage burst into flames. Soon the entire house was on fire.

He handed her his bag and told her to get in the craft.

He was behind her and followed her up the small ramp.

She looked around and found a seat. "What are we..."

She was cut off when she fell asleep. John buckled her in the copilot's seat and took the pilot's chair for himself. The controls looked like the old displays on the original Telot Seven command ship which was long out of commission.

He and his cousins played in the vessel as children, and they were taught how the craft operated. It's where many of their original inventions came from.

He pressed the door control and the pilot's control panel lit up. In seconds, the craft was in the air and headed towards the compound. Before he left, he used his mind to erase the recent memory of the several neighbors looking out their windows. Their cell phone videos would not have anything either.

*****

John saw the Vasage command ship sitting in the middle of the compound as he approached.

The com speaker became active, and he heard the old language.

"Land the craft and meet your fate, Inairtan scum."

John knew he had the advantage and landed the craft roughly. He watched as eight Vasage approached them with weapons drawn.

In the briefest of moments, all but one of the Vasage soldiers fell to the ground. The last was shocked as his weapon exploded in his hand and he was forced to his knees.

John opened his silver case and pulled out a silver jumpsuit. He dressed and picked up the matching silver mask. He sighed when he pulled it over his head.

John looked around as he walked down the ramp. He saw no others and hoped it was because they were dead.

He wasn't that lucky. A burst came from the larger ship's weapon, and he barely missed getting killed as he dove and rolled away.

He realized he had been hit by the shot, yet it left no mark on the silver suit.

He made a gesture with his hand, and the gun broke away from the vessel.

Seconds later, two Vasage came out firing blasts from a weapon with technology John had never seen.

The suit took the blasts and John felt the heat from the energy absorbed.

He crushed both of the attackers' brains and looked at the result of his carnage.

"The suit really worked," he thought as he grabbed the surviving Vasage's throat. "How many did you kill?"

The Vasage fought but succumbed to his power.

"Two."

John put the attacker to sleep and looked at the mountain a few hundred yards away. He saw his father and one of his Uncles running toward him with weapons drawn.

John took off the mask and waited for them to arrive. He wondered who had been killed and heard Sheryl walk up behind him.

"John?"

"It's over now, Sheryl. We're safe for the moment."

"Thank the gods you're safe, Son," George said as his brother checked on the dead Vasage.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I had to use my abilities and obviously the suit."

"Worry not. You did what must be done."

"That dickhead is still alive," John said to his uncle. The elder man nodded and threw the Vasage over his shoulder and carried the sleeping warrior into the compound.

"John, bring your mate inside. We have much to discuss."

"Mate?" Sheryl thought as she followed along, then a strange feeling of calm came over her.

"Dad, they said there was another site where five more of them went."

George nodded, "Yes, my brother Gabriel's first born was there. Joseph is much like you."

"You mean?"

"That's right. He has your abilities."

"Have you heard from him?" John asked.

"Yes. He had the same result as you. He's flying their other craft here as we speak."

"They said we committed genocide, Dad."

"Hold that thought, Son."

George looked at the door and saw Grace crying.

"Your parents are dead, George."

John gasped, and George said, "They refused to go to the mountain bunker, John. They stayed behind to buy us time."

John watched as his father hugged his mother.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Sheryl begged.