No Aliens Allowed

- Twenty-Six -

Catelin swerved violently through lanes of traffic. Horns filled the air.

I gripped Allen's wrist in shock, watching the blood -- red, human blood -- drip from his nose onto the seat with a steady rhythm.

This is what he had been talking about. The chemicals and his brain chemistry, the teenager hormones and his alien DNA.

I was afraid. Really, truly afraid. I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know what was going to happen, and I didn't know what to do.

So for the moment, I crouched there, trying my best to process what was happening.

Catelin pulled over, the car stopping with a jerk. She spun around, clambering into the backseat with me.

"He doesn't have a pulse," I got past my numb lips as I fixed my eyes on Allen's pale face, so white against the shocking scarlet of his blood.

"What's up with his blood?" Catelin asked, leaning close. "Isn't it supposed to be, like, blue?"

I nodded, and told her what he'd said. Just as I was finishing up, Allen's fingers twitched.

"Allen?" I immediately asked, grabbing his hand and squeezing. "Allen? Oh my god. Holy shit. Wake up!" I shouted, shaking his arm.

His eyes fluttered open, and he took a huge, shuddering breath. Color flooded his cheek and his pulse started back up, pounding hard against my fingertips. Warmth returned to his skin. It was like someone had rewound, moving backwards through his death.

"Oh my god," I breathed, crushing him in a hug, my arms coming tight around him. "Allen. Allen."

His arms locked around my back.

"I am so sorry for scaring you," he said, his lips brushing my ear.

"Fuck you," I muttered. "I swear, if you do that again..." I let my threat trail off, pulling back and glaring at him. But I couldn't stay mad, because it was Allen and it was impossible to be anything but in love with that guy.

But my smile faltered as soon as our eyes met. I had automatically braced myself for the rush of blood to my brain and the flood of images, but nothing came except the solid electric current I normally felt when I was near him.

Not to mention, his eyes were the clearest shade of blue, not even marginally close to purple like they had been.

I leaned closer, frowning. "Allen, are those...freckles?"

Sure enough, freckles were scattered across his nose and cheekbones. I ran my fingers lightly over them, and continued to be surprised when I felt the numerous bumps and slight blemishes.

"What even," I whispered, sitting up. "What happened? What did they do?"

Allen grabbed my wrists and lowered my hands. He looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Before you passed out and bled all over Catelin's car, you were different," I said. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "How much did those chemicals alter you? Because I'm getting the feeling it was a lot more than just your brain."

Allen frowned. "More than my brain? What more could change?"

"I think it changed your DNA structure," I admitted. "Because I know that it's extremely flexible and adaptable; you've demonstrated that." I thought hard for a second, trying to line things up in my head.

Catelin saved me by connecting the dots. "He adapted to fit in with humans before, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, and he told me that he hadn't stopped the adaption process, so he was slowly changing -- like, completely changing. Into a human."