But so was the past

The day they brought her home would never be less than crystal clear in her memories. She'd only been nine at the time. Her awareness of the world faded with her reminiscing.

She'd been left with a babysitter for six hours. The old lady that lived next door. It had made for an excruciating day of boredom. All the old woman would do was jigsaw puzzles and crosswords, all day long. It had made the break in routine for lunch feel like an adventure.

Then, when her parents came home, they brought her. The last thing she'd ever expected in her life. A 19 year old, 5 foot tall blue fish girl in a black suit, with yellow and blue flickering all over her skin. Even now, she wished she hadn't screamed at the sight. Her gut wrenched knowing that had been her welcome into the house.

At least she hadn't reacted like the old woman. That old bitch refused to babysit for her parents. It was two years before they started to spend real time together. Even then, only because some guy had called Zodia "Guppy". It goaded several others into bullying her, calling her bottom feeder, and Amy found herself quickly getting angry. She'd kicked one of the boys in the shin, and dragged Zodia away from them. The conversation that changed everything played through her head.

<-memory->

"Why do you let them call you that stuff?"

Zodia stared at the sky with tears in her large eyes. With no nasal contours, they came down like small waterfalls from the inner corners. Her accent thick, she clenched her fists. "They...they get to. Earth...not home. Not for Nova..."

"That doesn't mean you have to take it when they do that!"

"Have to...just until there is space.", Zodia breathed deep, shoving her pain down.

"Space?", Amy echoed curiously.

Zodia nodded. "I...have no pod."

Pod. That was what they had for a family, right? Amy searched the ground as though it had an answer. "What? But...aren't your pod things like... whole cities or something?"

Zodia shook her head. "No...no more than 50. My pod...Alpha died. Our elder too... Other pods took them in. No space for me..."

That didn't make sense at all. "If they can take care of 50, 51 can't possibly be a problem."

Zodiac sighed and sat on the ground. "Nova...our pods are united in the Alpha...a piece of our minds in him. A piece of his in ours...they can only cope with so much."

Pieces? Like bees? Amy remembered learning that a bee without a hive is lost and lets itself die. Is this like that? Just waiting for another hive? Sure, she looks weird and talks funny but she didn't deserve to be bullied...especially not if she thinks she's just waiting to die. Amy bit her lip, mentally pushing herself. She wrapped her arms around the older girl's neck and pulled her into a hug. Zodia pushed her away for a moment. Amy did it again. "It's called a hug. You've seen it...it's...just feel it."

Zodia let the small girl hug her tighter. It felt like empathy. Like sadness with her, not for her. "...Why?"

"I don't know, just...stick up for yourself, got it? You're not just someone waiting on a family..."

Zodia felt tears again. Her voice shook. "I am...I have no-"

Tightening her hold, Amy defiantly interrupted her. "Yes you do...we might not be like...family family...but you live with me and listen to my parents like I do...so maybe we're something close to family."