James was your average, not so average preteen. For one he lived in a foster home with a dozen of other tweens and teens. The home, was more like one big extended family, with the owners taking on the role of mother and father. While the supporting staff often acted as aunts and uncles. The older teens acted like big sisters and brothers to the younger ones and in some cases even mentored the younger ones.

“Well it's the girl who gets the engagement ring.” Brook said not thinking.

“Uh, hello” Kelsey said motioning with both hands to her body. “What am I chopped liver” At that comment Maxie gave a small woof.

“Sorry sweetheart, I wasn't thinking.”

“We will go shopping for rings, tomorrow after work.” Kelsey reassured Brook.

“So, you going to take me for a ride or not.”

Less than an hour after leaving the base camp, we said goodbye to the RSM outside Abergavenny Railway Station. He gave both of us a big hug and said,
“Watch your backs ladies. You never know who is really a bad guy in disguise.”

Jemma had a hard time keeping a straight face but we both gave Jock a kiss on his cheeks and then made a hasty exit.

I looked back at him in the rear-view mirror and saw Jock give us a wave. It made me go all gooey inside for a few seconds.

Chapter One

My life was boring before I met Kaen, though met is not an entirely accurate way to describe our first encounter. I was David a thirty-five-year-old single warehouse worker. I was just an average middle age man nothing really to look at, in fact, if you saw me you probably forgot me a short time later. At five feet ten inches and a frame that could hide behind a light pole, I didn't really have ladies knocking on my door either. I spent most of my time at work or home watching anime. That changer a summer night last June.

It had been several weeks since the initial attempt and now their plans were in place. "She usually leaves the building almost the same time everyday. Normally it is close to eight or there abouts when she walks out to the parking lot. She gets in that damn rocket of hers and drives home followed by the tail she picks up when she passes the gate."

Whew! Now that Tarneerans, the Brazilian aliens, have officially made an appearance major elements of the story can finally start blending! Much will begin to seem to be revealed and assumptions may be upset.

And what about Jill and Carol?

I stared incredulously at the creature that had just passed through the mirror. Were my eyes deceiving me, or was this really, truly a talking armadillo? Angela and Meredith immediately rose from the couch, though I sat there, mouth agape until Angela nudged my shoulder. I climbed to my feet and leaned into her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She laid an arm around me and gave me a partial hug.

CHAPTER 79
The dining room in the hotel was pretty shabby, and the choice not the greatest, but they had chilled apple juice on tap and as much tea as I could drink, which helped with the beer-mouth. I loaded up on carbs and grease, before sorting out some odds and sods for a morning of wandering along the front while waiting until it was time to head over to the little hospital for my friend’s return from theatre.

I suppose I should have been there for her departure for surgery, but I was so terrified at the possible dangers I hid in the city instead, and played tourist. There was, after all, plenty to see, even if I didn’t go up on the ‘i360’, a viewing platform on the sea front.

4: “Sunrise”

“What should we watch next?” Angela flipped through the Netflix menu on the television, I laid comfortably between the two of them, kind of curled up. It was nice being small. “I think we’ve watched everything on Netflix and Hulu, we’re going to have to wait a few years for them to update the library.”