I HAD PERSUADED LOUIS TO leave the trip into the woods until the next afternoon. It had been nearly nightfall the previous day and there was no way I was going to risk us getting lost together in the thicket of trees. Things were hectic enough.

And so, there we were; all packed for a little hike into the woods.

"These boots are a little uncomfortable," Louis complained as he  shuffled his feet back and forth.

"Oh, stop complaining," I said as I pulled my backpack on. "We're hopefully going to find your ship today, Loudrix. You should be too full of happiness to care if the shoes are maybe a size too small."

His face lit up at the mention of his ship. He'd been so ecstatic on the way home that he'd not even noticed the fact that the tyres had skidded a little on the side of the road. He's been bouncing up and down and talking joyfully about how he was so close to returning home. 

It made me wonder just how homesick he was. At times, he didn't let it show while there were moments when he looked heart-broken. After all, he'd lost everything close to him; his home, his family and friends, his girlfriend, the loyalty of some of his crew and even betrayed by members of his alien Council. To say he's had a crappy time would be an understatement. 

"Alright," he said as he walked up to me. His hair was a mess and the stubble on his jaw had grown a great deal since he had landed. I'd have to teach him how to shave. "I'm ready to go."

"Great," I said before we left the house and hopped into the car. I drove us through the town and whistled to the radio as I did. Louis seemed pretty content as he looked out of the window and over the scenery we passed. It didn't take us long to get to the edge of town, and I looked over and asked, "Are you OK?"

He nodded. "I am more than OK. I am excited beyond words, Flora! Thank you for helping me."

"You're welcome," I chuckled. "Anything I can do to help."

We drove out of town, the woodland creeping closer on either side of the road. I'd often went camping out in the woods with my family when I'd been a child. Sometimes in the Summer, I dragged Jason out with me. Of course, we'd not done anything quite as fun for months, with him being busy at uni and I in the shop.

I parked the car off the side of the road and we hopped out at the same time. The trees stood before us, tall and mighty and I muttered a, "Come on," to Loudrix before we started to make out way through the trees. 

The deeper we travelled, the more peaceful it became; the quiet of a forest was one of the most beautiful things to hear, what with the rustling leaves in the wind, birds singing and bugs buzzing here and there. I'd always loved walking through the woods, simply because it was the smallest step to my dream - to go on adventures.

Of course, none of those childhood ventures could compare to the one which included myself helping an alien.

"How are you doing back there?" I called to Louis who was stepping cautiously over a fallen tree.

He grumbled an unsure, "OK," before he suddenly disappeared from sight. He fell, face-first into the forest floor, the only thing visible being his backpack and a brown tuft of hair within the shrubs. 

I burst out laughing, unable to contain it. He looked so hilarious just laying there, as if he were completely done with life on Earth. I realised that when he wasn't trying to be funny, he was. A minute later, I was still in stitches, my stomach cramped from laying so hard. The more he lay there, the funnier he looked.

"Are you OK?" I managed to gasp between giggles.

A dirt-covered face looked up at me through the leaves. He was scowling and I just laughed harder.

"I am so sick of everything trying to taunt me on this planet," he muttered before pushing himself up. There were leaves and twigs caught in his hair, and mud smeared across his face. "I will love seeing you on Junito for the first time."

That caught my attention. I slowed my pace and soon we were walking side by side once again. 

"Tell me about it," I said.

Something flashed in his eyes - memories? Happiness? I didn't know, but I knew it was something joyful, especially since we were discussing his home. His blue eyes landed on my own and a small smile crept onto his face.

"Where can I begin?" he said, half to himself. "It's beautiful, bright, full of wonder and possibility. It's tranquil but can have it's moments if a celebration or something alike is happening. The people are lovely, polite and exceptionally kind. Junites as a rule, are a race that embraces kindness."

"Sounds like the complete opposite of Earth," I chuckled. "Life here is hard, people here are cruel and in general, our planet sucks. You seem to have all the cool technology and such."

"Cool technology?" he questioned. "How is our technology being a certain temperature something to be envied?"

I just looked at him and shook my head. "No, I mean - you have all the better things. Your tech is much more advanced and you have flying vehicles and star-ships - space-ships? Whatever you call them."

Louis just chuckled. "Well, we are a much more advanced race and don't kill each other for sport and such. I was watching the ... um, TV?"

"TV, yep," I assured him.

"TV, yeah - I was watching that and noticed multiple reports of gun crimes, knife crime. So much negativity here. I'm actually quite shocked at how some areas on this planet are more cruel than others."

I just shrugged. What was I supposed to tell him? The truth obviously. "You know, Loudrix - living here really puts things into perspective for you. Life on Earth is cruel, its inhabitants can be barbaric and some can be selfless. Everyone chooses the life they want, and some don't have a choice. It's almost like a game with fate."

"A game, you say?" Loudrix said, stepping over a tree-trunk. "You know, on Junito we all help each other and make sure life is as good as possible for all."

"Sounds like Heaven," I muttered. "This way."

We ventured deeper into the woods until we came to a chicken-wire fence. On the other side was a field, and if you looked closely enough, animals could bee seen grazing a good distance away. We're getting close, I realised as I allowed my eyes to wander over the large expanse of field and over to the perimeter outline. At the far side, I could see a slight decrease in tree density, and I allowed myself to start marching in the direction I believed Louis' ship was.

Behind me, Louis walked slow. It almost looked as if he were upset and when I asked him what was wrong, he just gave me a small shrug and said, "It all seems too easy."

"What do you mean too easy?" I questioned, pushing some branches out of my face.

"Well, I have been here for nearly a month and I've learned basics of human nature so easily, we're now on our way to find my ship and ... I don't know, I guess I thought there would be a little bit more of an adventure."

I just looked at him and smiled sympathetically. I knew how he felt; it was like he was recalling my life over the last twenty-two years of being stuck in town. 

"Well, look at it this way," I started, "I think you could consider taking me to Junito as an adventure. I mean, who knows what could happen? Shit could happen and a disaster may occur and who knows? You may find yourself in more of an adventure than you originally wished for."

"You're still desperate to go, huh?" he chuckled. "You know that it's not much, right? To me, it's everything because I miss it terribly and my family and friends are there... And..."

I heard his footsteps decrease and I turned to see him standing wide sad eyes. I wanted to hug him.

"What's the matter?"

He blinked. "I just ... I just realised that everyone back home... Everybody back home will think I'm dead."

I felt the urge to hug him. Deep down I knew that he would most likely be confused by such a gesture, or he'd assume it was some kind of trick. But nevertheless, it was a common way to show that you cared about someone. And so, simply because he was in distress and needed comfort, I stepped forward and hugged him tightly. I realised that that was the first time I'd hugged him, or touched him in an affectionate way, and he apparently noticed too, for he just stood there and mumbled in confusion.

"What is this?" he questioned as his arms slowly embraced me back. 

"A hug. Cuddle. Embrace. Call it what you will, but it's me trying to comfort you," I said. He smelled of sweat and soap and I found it strangely beautiful. "And before you assume that I'm trying to kill you, I'm not."

He just chuckled and hugged me tighter. Only a moment later, I felt him rest his cheek against my head and he exhaled loudly.

We stood like that for a few minutes, and I found myself hoping that I had made him feel a little better. He wasn't crying, or living in the past like I'd often expected him to do - instead he was taking it like a man. Well, an alien man, and it was courageous of him. I envied his strength. I knew that if the tables had been turned and I  was the one stuck on another planet, I would have broke down instantly and been inconsolable. 

I pulled away first. "You feel a little better?"

He thought for a moment, his blue eyes on my face. But then he glanced down at my lips and I felt myself swallow. It made me wonder if aliens kissed the same way humans did or was kissing perhaps not a thing his race was familiar with?

He nodded slowly and smiled. "A little, funnily enough."

"That's the wonderful thing about hugs," I told him. "They may be a small gesture but they are powerful."

He just looked at me, still smiling before he nodded once and suggested we move on. The woodland was rather large, which was funny given the size of town it surrounded. As we continued to push through the leaves towards the lake, I heard Louis' stomach grumble.

"Can we eat?" he asked.

"Sure, come over here so we can sit down," I said, leading him towards a small clearing to our left. We sat down on the grassy floor, pulling our the sandwiches I'd prepared. I glanced over at the alien as I took a bite. He looked disappointed as he sniffed and prodded at the bread.

"What is this? A sandwich?" he asked. I nodded and he frowned. "You told me it would be pancakes."

"You can't live off of pancakes, Loudrix," I huffed. "Besides, how do you know you don't like it unless you actually try it?"

He huffed this time and slowly took a bite. It was a simple ham and cheese and quite frankly, if he didn't like it then he was going to go hungry. He screwed his face up as he chewed, a small, wavering smile sent my way when I just glowered at him for being so silly.

He swallowed. "I suppose it's not completely awful," he said with a small shrug.

"Exactly," I told him. "Honestly, while you're still here you need to eat something more than pancakes and strawberries."

"But I won't be here much longer," he said, smiling widely. "I can't wait to go home and share my discoveries with my parents."

The mention of his parents caught my attention. He'd never spoke of his family, only Klaru, his partner. And granted, he hadn't mention much about her either. I inched closer and smiled.

"Tell me more about your family," I said.

"Why would my family interest you?" He inspected me with curiosity.

"I want to know more about you," I answered honestly. "And besides, if you're leaving Earth soon, I don't want to miss a chance to ask."

Loudrix just smiled and shuffled round to face me properly. "My father is ... um, quite a well known man. And my mother. They're pretty important people, in fact."

"How so? Are they like politicians?" I asked. "Like, people who make rules and try to lead in a way that's better for the Junites?" 

Loudrix just mumbled under his breath. "Kind of. But anyway, they're amazing. My mother is very much like me; into scientific discoveries and the wonders of our solar system. She believes it's underrated - science and adventure. She was actually the one who pushed me towards this life. My father was more into the political views and how to be a strong Junite."

I listened intently, hearing about his family and friends turning out to be more than fascinating. I felt like a child being read a bedtime story. Louis' eyes lit up as he spoke about his loved ones, a smile on his face the whole time as he told me humorous stories from his childhood and the time when he realised that science was something he wanted to study.

Only after the sun had began to dip beneath the tree-tops did I realise how long we'd sat talking. It had felt like only ten minutes but had actually been an hour or so. I packed my things away and told Louis that if we wanted to find his ship, we'd best hurry before the dark of night caught us.

"We don't need to rush," Louis said. "The night is beautiful."

"Not when it leaves you stuck out in the woods, it's not," I argued as I pushed forward. 

We finally reached the opposite side of the field, and it was easy to spot where the destruction had been caused. Several trees had been pulled out of the ground, the roots torn from the forest floor, and a large ditch, almost like something large and heavy had been dragged through the soil led down towards the lake.

"I'm guessing it's down here," I said as I jumped down, into the deep ditch. The ground was mushy under my shoes and I grumbled in annoyance.

Louis on the other hand, had took off down the muddy valley, calling an excited, "C'mon!" as he did.

And so I followed him, mud flicking up over my clothes and covering my shoes as I jogged to catch up with him. The closer we got to the lake, the deeper the ditch seemed to become. But there seemed to be one problem - just at the edge of the water, the ditch vanished, almost like it had been completely submerged beneath the murky liquid.

I slowed to a halt behind Louis.

"It's under the water," I heard him say. He sounded exhausted. "It's in the damn water."

I nodded and moved to stand beside him. "Looks like it. Can't we just swim down to it?"

Loudrix nodded slowly and began to raise his hands at the same time. I was confused. What was he doing? I recalled him mentioning something about being able to feel his ship. It was camouflaged with its surroundings after all, and only he was able to know its exact location. His hands shook as he held them up, over the lake.

"Can you feel it?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," he muttered. "It's down quite deep, but right in front of us."

"So, we can just swim down and into it?" I asked, beginning to drop my back-pack to the ground. Louis stopped me though, his hand resting on my shoulder. His grip was tight. I was about to question what was going on when I saw the confused frown on his face. He was looking at the stars.

"Wait," he muttered, squinting up at the sky. He slowly took a step back.

"What is it?" I asked, looking up at the sky. I saw nothing but the stars. They were beautiful, like always and I wondered if he had perhaps seen a constellation that wasn't visible on Junito. However, when his eyes widened and mouth fell open I realised he wasn't looking up in wonder, but more in shock. "What?" I urged.

"Oh, no," he muttered, tugging at my arm slightly. "We need to go."

"Why?" I asked, frantically looking up. "What's wrong?"

"Starship," he said hurriedly. "C'mon, I'll explain it when we're out of sight!"

Sensing the fear in his voice, I allowed him to tug me back up the ditch. We ran as fast as we could until we reached the tree-line by the field. We ducked down, the tall trees and shrubs concealing us from whatever Louis had seen.

"Keep quiet," he told me, his eyes still wide.

"Only after you tell me what's going on?" I shot back. "I don't see anything!"

"Because you're mortal!" he retaliated. "I can see and sense Junito Starships because I'm from the same planet! You can't see them unless the camouflage mode is off."

I just shook my head in disbelief. There was another ship landing in Hoveton? I found it funny how things seemed to happen one after the other, almost like my wishes were all coming true. One alien in my life was exciting enough, but an entire Starship full of them? Now, that was going to be an adventure. 

I glanced over at Louis who was chewing his lip. He looked nervous, scared even. But why?

Suddenly, there was a sound. It was odd, almost like a decreasing wheezing that made my ears pop. I covered them and looked at Louis who was wincing. Then it appeared; the Starship. It was magnificent - large, black and armoured. I recalled Louis talking of his ship being made from Junito's finest metal, and I assumed it was the same stuff that the monster before me was constructed from.

Inside the windows, I could see movement. Bright, shimmery figures walked back and forth and my mouth fell open in wonder. Junites. And lots of them. I slowly found myself raising to get a better look, but Louis pulled me down.

"Don't," he said. His voice was firm, authoritative . Nothing like I'd heard before and it unnerved me. "Stay down or we'll be in trouble. This is my Starship - the one I set out on to discover human evidence. This is my crew and those who betrayed me."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I can see them," he said. "These are the traitors from the Council. Imbeciles, they are. I shall make sure they pay when I return to my home."

He sounded so blood-thirsty, almost savage. And I kind of liked that side of him. It made a difference from his wimpy side.

I turned to look back at the ship. It came to hover above the lake, almost covering the entire expanse of the water. As it dipped lower and lower, I realised that we'd never have a chance to retrieve Louis' ship as long as they were there. And how long they'd be on Earth was unknown.

A hissing sound came from the ship, and a crack of light could be seen as the heavy entrance of a door began to lower. The light from within seemed to almost sparkle like a galaxy and I found myself longing to venture into the Starship.

"What do we do?" I whispered.

Louis looked me in the eye and said, "Keep quiet, still, and alert. My people may be kind and selfless, but if someone crosses the wishes or commands of the council, they are forever targeted. If they find me, they find you. I refuse to have your life be put in danger because of me, Flora. I also refuse to let you argue with me one this matter."

"But I never even-" I began.

He cut me off. "Listen to me, Earthling," he said, grinning wickedly as he used the old nickname for me. "These people want to kill me because I know too much about this world. I will be killed if they find me, and you too for helping. Promise me that you shall listen to me."

Desperation was in his eyes. The blue was alive, almost electric like the first time we had met, and for the first time he looked like his Junite self again. He seemed ready for something - for the danger? The mission to return home? I had no clue, but I sure as hell did know that I would help him get back home ... no matter what danger lay ahead. 

Thank you for reading! x
Space joke: What did Jupiter say to Saturn? "Mate, you should really give me a ring sometime!"
Cazza