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"The first thing I know is being in a small glass cell surrounded by people in white lab coats, all watching me. Then one entered and poked me with a needle."

Tom received an image with her in said cell, seeing her reflection in the glass trough her own eyes. A small kitten-girl, no more than five years old, and doctors outside watching her and taking notes on clipboards. Later one of the doctors entered and took a blood sample with a syringe, jabbing her none too gently, treating her no better than a beast.

For, what Shau'i later found out, more than two years she endured examinations and intelligence tests. And even though the doctors found out that she was just as intelligent as any other person, she was still treated worse than an animal.

"One day people in uniforms came. They bound and blindfolded me, and took me away from my glass prison to, hopefully, a better life. But it wasn't. It was worse."

Now Tom could see an even smaller cell. This time made of concrete, with a tiny barred window.

"And then the drills began. Every day I was woken early and had to dress under supervision.

My instructors were merciless in my exercises and I was constantly on the verge of collapsing or fainting. And if that happened, he would make sure to "help" me up, with a few kicks in my side.

At midday, after a short and lunch of some special vitamin porridge I was due for the rifle range, lying in the scorching sun or bitter cold with a gun, trying to hit targets. And in the late afternoon I had to take basic classes like reading and writing, maths, history and physics. After that, the evening drills began, a mixture of tracking, stealth and evasion in the dark.

This went on for about two years before they changed my timetable. The physical training was changed to martial arts, having five different teachers so I would learn as many styles as possible. They were ruthless in every aspect and I got back with bruises every day. Later on, they even used batons and knives for me to defend against. Twice I had a broken wrist and once a broken rib, and more cuts that I can count".

Tom winced in sympathy as she flicked through those images.

"About a year ago I also began to take lessons with a flight simulator. And one day I overheard that they wanted me to test a prototype plane for which no human had fast enough reflexes to control it. As strange as it sounds, that indirect compliment bolstered me immensely and I felt a bit more confident in myself.

The next day, the first time ever, I defeated one of my martial arts teachers in a brutal fight. He cut me a few times with his knife, but I didn't give up and knocked him unconscious after breaking his jaw, a few ribs and his right arm. But that didn't go down well with the guards that followed me everywhere. As they saw what had happened, they rushed at me and took me down immediately with their batons. I tried to fight back, but in the end there were too many. And as they dragged me back to my cell, one of the guards leered at me and said that tonight they would punish me.

I ... I was terrified, more terrified than ever before, and I was hurt everywhere. Unable to sleep, I cowered in a corner of my cell, waiting, frightened that the guard would make his threat real.

It was about midnight when I heard the outer door to the cell block creak and the thuds of their heavy boots growing louder. Then the cell door flew open and they rushed inside. His three helpers grabbed me, pinning me to the floor. He loomed over me and grinning evilly he said, "My, my, aren't you a beauty."

With that he began to unbutton his pants and pulling down his underwear. I was petrified. But as he climbed over me, his ... thing in full view, he bumped slightly into his colleague, that held my right arm, dislodging his grip on me.

In this moment something switched in my mind and took over, washing my fear away.

After ripping free my right arm I broke the guards nose. To the second guard, on my left, I did the same. By then the third one, responsible for pinning my feet, panicked and let go. Kicking out strong, I sent him flying and crashing into the small table behind. But now I faced HIM, my would be rapist. He was ready, pants back into place and holding a knife. ... I hate knives."

Tom could see and feel the following fight through her eyes, as words were utterly useless. Their speed was incredible, but in the end Shau'i was better. Her agility was unbelievable, even though she amassed another fresh set of cuts and bruises. Tom wondered how she could still stand after all those wounds.

Then she ran.

Out of the open cell door, through the corridor and into the open.

"But what now? I stood there and didn't know what to do or where to go. I just knew that I wanted to get away from here. But how? The whole complex was surrounded by high walls. Turning around I noticed that light shone through one of the usually closed hangar doors. I sneaked nearer and peeked into the hangar. At first I couldn't believe my eyes. There it stood, the real thing, the jet I had practiced for in my simulator exercises. Technicians were working on it.

There was my ticket to freedom.

The techs scarpered as soon as they recognized me for who I was. But I hadn't much time. I ran to the plane and quickly climbed the ladder to the cockpit. There even lay a folded pilot's suit and helmet ready for me. I guessed that tryouts with the real plane would have begun pretty soon.

After putting on the suit and helmet hastily, I ignited the engines and rolled the plane out of the hangar. Just then the alarm began to sound.

I had to leave quickly!

Turning the nose of the jet towards the airfield I saw then, a whole regiment readied itself at the beginning of the airfield, pointing their automatic rifles and pistols towards me. I had only one chance. I turned up the engines as much as I dared and rolled past them as fast as possible. They scattered, but not before emptying the clips of their guns. Luckily the cockpit was well armored.

After an hour or so in the air I lost pressure in one of the hydraulic steering lines. And moments later the plane was completely unresponsive. There was nothing else I could do, I ejected.

But that system malfunctioned too. The glass dome blasted off a moment too late and I must have hit it with my helmet in mid air. And that's the last thing I remember before I woke up in your car."

*

"Now you know it! I'm a freak, a monster!"

Tom sat before her, silent, his face still white as chalk and his eyes staring into unseen depths of thoughts. He only broke his position when he noticed Shau'i's growing worry and her freshly watering eyes.

Smiling, he looked up, "It's all right, I just got lost on a few things".

She stared at him.

"You don't think of me like some vile and freakish creature"?

"How could I? And I already told you. It's not your fault what you were born or what those bastards tried to make you. They wanted you to kill, but you never did. You chose not to. And that is what makes you good, even if you yourself don't believe it. I know I'm repeating myself, but you are still the kindest person I ..."

Tom never finished his sentence as Shau'i had launched herself at him, tackling him. Her arms were clinging around his chest, locked in a tight embrace And she was laughing and crying all at once.

"Thank you so much Tom!"

At first Tom was a little taken aback, but a moment later a smile appeared on his face and before he knew it he had joined in. When their laughter died away, Shau'i leaned back and said, "You were right. Talking helped."

"Laughing too?", he asked, still with a broad smile.

"That too." she giggled.

And she kissed him on the cheek. Tom could feel his face grow hot immediately. He wanted to say something but managed only a few stammers.

Shau'i giggled again and rubbed her cheek against his, purring contentedly. Then she snuggled her face in between Tom's neck and shoulder and closed her eyes still lying across him in her embrace. Tom tenderly stroked the top of her head and her back until they both were overcome by sleep.

*

The next day began normal enough, well normal if awaking with a 45kg cat on top of you didn't count. And another thing wasn't normal either. As Tom lay there with Shau'i in his arms, purring slightly in her sleep a truth dawned in Tom's happy mind. A thought that made him contemplative and a little scared. How would he tell her?

Over dinner, he decided after a while.

And what a dinner it was! Tom outdid himself that evening. Smoked salmon on bread as appetizer and then chicken wings with salad. The two candles on the table and the white wine provided a romantic atmosphere. They had much fun feeding each other and Tom broke out in hysterical giggles when Shau'i took her first sip of wine and pulled a face and exclaimed, "Bah! Sour!"

When she noticed Tom gasping for air she joined in and then even took another sip. She grimaced again, refueling Tom's hysterical giggles.

A little while later Tom decided it was time and gathered his courage, already growing hot around his collar, his cheeks blushing slightly red. He looked deep into her blazing green eyes and said, "Shau'i, there is something I have to tell you."

His heart was racing. Now or never.

"I ..."

--- DRIIIIING ---

They both jumped as the doorbell rang. The moment was lost.

"Keep out of sight," Tom whispered urgently and went to answer the door.

"Who's there?"