Sorry it took so long to get this out to you guys. I broke my leg while up hunting second week of this month and I've been on bed-rest pretty much since. I wanted to get this chapter done before NaNo, which will be focused primarily on the Legendary series, so I wanted to make sure this story was finished and not neglected. I hope you all enjoy!

Everything here was still burned. The grass the ground even some of the trees had succumbed and either stood tall and black or had fallen over. It was all still here, even after the weeks it had taken to really get back on her feet. Kaylin scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt-ash mixture and sighed as she looked at the empty circle.

She had again refused the offer of staying with the Mels or the Skulls, insisting still on neutrality, even though she had lost the trust of most of the gangs.

She fingered the bandage that her mutilated arm was in, biting her lip and humming in uncertainty, looking around. Lacking the skills, and down one arm, trying to build a new house would be difficult without help.

A crashing noise distracted her from her thoughts and she looked over to where one of the blackened trees had fallen over. The hulking black figure stood by it, retracting the blades on his wrist and bending down to inspect the wood, running a hand over it and tapping it, before snorting and abandoning it.

Kaylin smiled despite herself. He had healed quickly, unsurprising, and he seemed back to his normal self. Mostly normal, at least. She had expected him, now that his pursuers were gone, to leave. She wasn't sure how he would, given he had sacrificed his ship to destroy the xenomorphs, but she assumed there had to be others like him who would come for him, right?

"I don't suppose you know how to make a house?" she asked the alien and he turned his mask to her, rattling and clicking.

"Make a house?" her voice repeated back to her and she smiled.

Learning to talk to each other was going to have to be high priority as well. First, shelter.

Kaylin walked over to the fallen tree that Jitar had easily cut down and ran her fingers over the trunk, looking at her sooty fingertips before looking around at the rest of the forest. She had a mind to not rebuild in this spot, given the memories it held, but here was where the gangs knew her to be. If they needed help, she needed to be easy to find.

She was planning on what to do with the structure, and how to replace the many items within, when a buzzing sound caught her ear. Jitar's head also snapped up, then slowly scanned the area, before looking to the sky. The buzzing sound quickly turned into the roar of an engine, and overhead two crafts passed over the small clearing.

"Those are Colonial Marine ships," Kaylin gasped, eyes wide, "come on Jitar!" she called thoughtlessly and began running down the road. Jitar caught up to her and kept pace, jogging while she sprinted. Her exercise tired her out quickly and she was out of breath not even half-way to the Mels. She had pushed herself so much these past several days, acting doctor to the injured, that it took no time at all for her barley rested body to ache. She stopped part way through, to catch her breath past a raw throat, then kept moving.

She didn't get very much farther when she spotted someone coming down the way. Jitar vanished in an instant, though she could still feel the heat of his body next to her. Taking two deep breaths, she straightened up and squared her shoulders. But it was not marines that approached.

Kair, Cee, Lissa, Aron and others came down the way, white strips of cloths in their hands, walking a fair distance away from each other. With them, several children, some not so young, looking unhappy, or teary-eyed, or stoic, all following silently.

Tyke was holding Kair's hand.

"What's going on?" Kaylin asked once they were within earshot and jogged up to them. She stopped when several of the gang's leaders stopped short and shot back. She looked at them bewildered, staring at their terrified expressions. But they weren't looking at her. Kaylin glanced and saw that Jitar had dropped his camouflage.

"That... that is the thing you saved? That killed the Eagles?" Aron asked, holding a baby in his arms.

"This is Jitar, yes."

Kaylin waved a hand, signaling that he was safe. Jitar, in his part, didn't make a move towards or away from those present.

"What's going on?" Kaylin repeated, "I saw the Colonial Marines ships..."

Kair nodded and cleared his throat.

"They came to round us up, said so over their big fancy speakers. Some executive order something saying that the prison planet was compromised and to be shut down. Probably that the Weyland-Yutani operation blew up and fucked up their plans."

Tyke released Kair's hand and moved over to take Kaylin's and she squeezed it affectionately.

Cee watched this and looked back to the children he had with him and sighed, "we...," he hesitated to say that, "had the idea that the kids could stay here."

Kaylin stared.

"They aren't registered criminals, fuck they don't even exist in the system, they were born here-."

"Not everyone agreed," Aron said, moving forward, "some felt it better their children come with and live in their culture, whatever prison it is we get sent to. Some children refused to leave even though their parents wanted them to stay. Others didn't trust you," Aron moved the infant he had in his arms, "here's the Eagle woman's baby."

Kay silently released Tyke's hand and took the baby in her good arm.

"Trust me?" she asked quietly.

"We're going to tell the Marines you died in the explosion, we're going to have to report a lot of people dead. Some took advantage of that and they're in the jungle now, pretending to be dead," Cee sighed, "so you, them, the alien and the kids are staying here, provided the Marines don't find you."

Kaylin looked over the small group that was present. Thirty, maybe forty kids, plus those who ran into the forest. The planet was being vacated save for those few individuals.

"So, these children..."

"We were honestly hoping you would take care of them," Lissa sighed, "for better or worse. They did agree to stay with you, these ones."

Kaylin looked down at Tyke, who looked back up at her and smiled, "we promised not to kill each other."

There was grumbling and Kaylin looked again at the group.

"Your homes...,"

"We're taking what we can carry, that's probably the only luxury the Marines are giving us," spat Kair, "we're leaving everything else behind, you and the kids are free to it."

"Weapons?"

"They'll be confiscated, most likely. Some of us plan on shooting at the marines and resisting till the last, some of us just want off this rock. Those that ran into the jungle probably took whatever they could carry. We stashed some for you guys, for defense, huntinf. Though your alien friend is probably all you need."

Kaylin frowned, looking at the ground. It didn't feel right, suddenly becoming the caretaker of a motley of children who were raised to hate and to kill each other. Not to mention who ever else was left on Neo Australia once the Marines left with the majority people.

"Are... you sure?"

"No," Poncy sneered, "but it's what we thought best for our kids. Our... better judgment."

Kaylin nodded, understanding. She was being done no favors. Half of them here looked ready to change their minds on the subject and walk back. This was for the sake of the children only.

She looked down at Sephie's baby sound asleep.

"For what it's worth," she said quietly, looking up at them and smiling, "I'll miss you all."

Silence answered. Poncy turned to and spoke rapidly in Arabic to the children and pushed one of them towards Kaylin before taking his white flag and walking back down the road. The girl, looking terrified, looked from Kaylin to Jitar.

"Don't worry," Kaylin said to her, "he's safe."

Jitar rattled.

Aron scoffed and turned patting the shoulder of the older boy directly next to him, he muttered in Spanish and the boy nodded, "yes father."

The two men embraced each other, then Aron shot a pointed glare at Jitar, and left, cursing himself.

Some of the children approached Kaylin voluntarily, others were pushed. One by one the adults present began to leave with farewells to their and others children.

Kaylin gently smiled at the ones that came to her, silent promises that all would be well.

Cee and Kair were the last to leave, Kair giving instructions to those behind him, and Cee stepped forward and embraced Kaylin, who closed her eyes and made the sleeve of his shirt wet.

"Thank you Kay, I'll miss you too," he whispered, then backed away. He wordlessly turned and walked back down the road, Kair glaring after his back.

Kaylin bumped Tyke with her hip and looked down at him, "go say goodbye."

Tyke nodded and ran over to Kair, "goodbye!" he said simply, and Kair looked at the boy, then glowered a bit at Kaylin, "take care of them, Kay."

It was an empty implied threat, but one that was not needed.

She took care of people.

Kair turned then, leaving Tyke behind watching after him, disappearing up the road.

The boy returned to Kaylin and his small hand gripped her remaining finger of her right hand while he gave a mistrustful gaze to the others. Kaylin looked from the children to Jitar, then to the jungle. They needed to go in and hide like the others, wait for the Marines to give up looking for them and leave. She led the way into the trees, knowing a place they could go for the time being.

It was going to be difficult, caring now for several children, providing for them, possibly protecting them from those who remained, and from each other, but she would try. Looking over at Jitar, she knew it wouldn't be easy either.

"Hey, Kay?" Tyke asked and she looked down at him, "are you going to be okay?"

Kaylin stopped and looked back at the children, the to the large alien who moved to stand beside her.

"We'll be alright," she promised with a smile, even though uncertainty was what was returned to her.

They would build a life here, she would teach them not to hate each other, as much as possible. Maybe, through Jitar, they would find a way to leave the planet. She didn't know. All they could do now was take what hand had been dealt to them all and move on.

"We'll be okay," she assured them again, nodding once and again leading them further into the trees.

"We'll be okay," her voice said beside her and Kaylin nodded, smiling at Jitar.

Together, they all vanished into the trees, hiding from the Marines like criminals and refugees. They would inherit this world, this prison steeped in blood and death, and from the ashes they would build it into a home.

For the first time in a long time, despite her doubts, despite what all they have been through, her, Jitar Tyke and the other children, Kaylin felt like everything would be alright in the end.

Alone, together.