Devon opened his eyes and saw himself staring at the roof of the Hive.

"About time you woke up," a voice said darkly.

Devon sat up and looked around. The Hive was empty except for Emery who was perched on her throne, watching Devon with a blank stare, but she wasn't the one who had spoken. Devon looked around for Ali, but couldn't find her.

"Ali? Where are you?" he asked.

There was silence, and then Ali came out of the shadows. She wasn't wearing the black pants and halter top anymore, instead, she was wearing a long black dress with quarter length sleeves. Her face, arms, and hands were caked with dried blood and her eyes were narrowed and dark with anger.

"Ali, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong, Devon?" Ali asked. Her voice soft but deadly, but then, she exploded and started yelling, "I'll tell you what's wrong, Devon! You almost jeopardized my chance to kill Ripley!

Devon flinched at the harshness in Ali's voice. "Look I'm sorry, okay? What did you want me to do?"

"What did I want you to do?!" Ali repeated, "I wanted you to kill her!"

"I couldn't, I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it! If I knew that you were going to chicken out like you usually do I would have just left you here and taken care of them all myself!"

"Ali, please, I'm sorry!"

"No, I don't want to hear it, in fact, I don't want to see your face!" Ali shouted, "I don't want a weakling like you here anymore!"

"But--!"

"Get out!" Ali shouted.

Devon stared at her with a mixture of hurt and shock. He didn't move for a while before turning and walking slowly toward the exit. Ali watched him leave, silent and furious, her hands clenched into fists and her body shaking. Emery remained silent too while Devon left and didn't speak until she was sure he had left the building.

You think you were too hard on him? she asked.

"No," Ali said, moving away from where she was standing and sat beneath Emery.

Why are you treating him like this?

"Because he's weak," Ali responded.

Is that the real reason?

"Of course, I can't stand people who show signs of weakness or who rely on those feeble human emotions."

Really?

"Yes!"

Then what do you have to say about the emotions you feel?

"What are you talking about?"

Do not play innocent with me, Ali, your thoughts are not hidden from me.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Emery hissed above Ali. The emotion that prompted you to leap to Devon's rescue is the same one that I have sensed in you from the moment you introduced the boy to me.

"Oh yeah?! What is it?" Ali demanded.

Love, Emery stated simply, You love that boy.

"No I don't, I swore to myself I would never feel human emotions ever!"

But you are not immune to them. Ali, you are more human than you let yourself believe.

"What do you know about humans? What makes you think I'm like them?!" her voice was rising in pitch as her anger grew.

Emery remained calm as she replied, I see every thought of my victims when the third stage is growing in their bodies. I know their thoughts and their fears and believe me, Ali, you are not so different from them.

"That's not true! There is no way that I'm similar to them! Besides, feeling emotions like love just weaken you and slow you down!"

Emery's hisses vibrated with her laughter. Ali, you silly child! You still believe that?

"Yes! Because it's true!"

You are wrong. Emotions make one stronger, they make you better. Tell me this, what was running through your head when you saved Devon?

"I don't know; a long anger that I've felt towards Ripley, the thoughts of seeing revenge fulfilled, joy --,"

What else?

"Nothing."

Do not lie to me! Emery's voice thundered with fury in Ali's head, Search your heart!

Ali groaned in aggravation, but closed her eyes, thinking about her emotions when she killed Ripley. There were defiantly anger and revenge that steamed most of her emotions, but there was another, stranger, emotion that she couldn't quite figure out. It took her a moment to think, but she started to figure it out, part of the anger she had felt was because she had thought Devon was hurt and she felt concernbecause Devon had been hurt.

"What is that feeling?" Ali asked herself.

Love, Emery replied.

Ali looked up at Emery, tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes. "I love him." she said.

Emery hissed gently. Yes, you do.

"What should I do? I already sent him away!"

Go after him.

Ali wiped her eyes and stood up. She ran up the stairs of the basement and flew quickly through the halls. She knew that Devon had probably left the building so she continued running. When she burst out the doors she was nearly blinded by the setting sun, which was just about to sink behind the horizon. She looked to her left and then to her right, spotting a dark shape moving slowly, with hunched shoulders.

"Devon, wait!" she shouted and she tore after him.

Devon paused and turned around, staring at Ali as she ran towards him.

"Devon," Ali said as soon as she was in earshot of him, "Devon, wait."

She came to a halt a foot away from Devon and immediately looked at the ground.

"Ali?" Devon asked.

Ali opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She closed her mouth and tried again. Devon didn't know what to do or say; he could only stare at Ali. When she still didn't say anything, he started to turn.

"Wait," Ali said again.

Devon turned back around to see that Ali had lifted her head. He was also shocked to see that she had tears running down her face.

"I'm sorry, Devon," Ali said, "I'm really sorry."

"What for?"

"You know what!" Ali said, "For everything; for calling you weak and for kicking you out."

"Hey, its okay, I understand," Devon said, "I'm just not strong enough for your tastes."

"No, that's not it at all," Ali said, "I--."

"What?"

Ali took a deep breath. "Devon, I--."

"It's okay, just tell me."

Ali looked to the ground. "DevonIlikeyou." She spoke so fast that her words blurred together.

"What?" Devon asked, confused.

Ali took a deep breath and tried again. "I like you."

She looked up to see Devon staring at her in shock. His mouth was gaped open slightly and his eyes were wide.

"I know that I've never admitted it before and I know that I said human emotions were weak, but Emery made me realize that I really do like you and that I was just hiding my feelings because I was afraid to fall in love--."

Devon smiled as Ali continued to ramble and reached a hand up to her face and gently place a kiss on Ali's lips, cutting her off. She was so shocked by the kiss that she could only stand rigid, her eyes open wide. Then, as she started to realize that she felt comfortable in Devon's embrace, she relaxed and returned the kiss, closing her eyes as she did. A gentle breeze blew by and Ali opened her eyes. Devon's hair was flying around his face, giving him a disheveled appearance. The sinking sun cast dark shadows over his face, strengthening certain features that Ali realized she liked.

She pulled away from the kiss and asked, "Will you stay with me?"

Devon smiled and pressed his lips to Ali's forehead. "Yes."