ZRP-2 Chapter 6: Scattered

(Sam)
"Oh. Okay, sorry for bringing it up."

(James)
=In response, said hand moved further up her shirt until it came to a stop at her chest, just beneath her breasts. The tips of my fingers brushed against the underside=
"Well.......looks like there and answer."

Eve looked...in pain. "Please...can we go anywhere but here now?" She asked.

"I guess so...are the kids out yet?"

(James)
"Uh, I don't know. We sold probably make sure before we do anything."

(Sam)
"Uh, okay Eve."
=Leading her out of the basement, we climbed the stairs up to our room. Once inside,I closed e door behind us=

Hibiki sighed. "Lock the door." She grinned.

In the room, Eve sat on the bunk quietly.

(James)
=Smiling, I gently pushed her off my lap and walked over to the door, closing it and turning the lock in place. Then I looked back to her. It was strange, since without power the whole room was without light. We didn't even have candles, and her figure was kinda shrouded in darkness. I suddenly pictured her nude, with shadows obscuring parts of her body, while others glowed under the light of the moon. And I thought that image would have been beautiful. It's what I thought as I walked over to her, slowly removing my shirt as I came to a stop before her, and let it fall to the floor. Then I bent down and caught her lips with my own=

(Sam)
"You okay Eve? You seem......unnerved,"

Hibiki had already been undressing when he pushed her onto the bed. By the time he reached her, she was in her underwear, having been pushing clothing off with abandon. As his lips caught hers, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down.


Eve looked at her knees. "I hate attics."

(James)
=My jeans were still on, and they were......tighter than normal now. But it felt a bit good to push them against her like this, though I started to undo the button and zipper, taking them off. Wasn't long before I was....well, nude, and on top of her. I broke the kiss to brush her hair back, looking down at her face=
"I love you."

(Sam)
"Why?"

Hibiki wasted no time prepping herself to receiving the package.
"I love you more."

Eve looked away. "Jonah...took me to the attic. Broke me so the Shepherds could...train me better."

(Sam)
"My god.....why? Why would someone do that to their own daughter?"

"How would I know Sam...all I know is the scars are not physical." She took Sam's hand. "But you're helping to mend the emotional ones."

(Sam)
"And that's good to know. Though sexual therapy isn't really my expertise."

"I don't want sexual therapy. Yes I'm having fun and sex will be fun...but what I need...isn't sex. It's someone to love me, Sam. Someone to care for me. Not break me."

(Sam)
"Then what do you need me for? You've got Hibiki. You've got James, and he's trying to be a better father than Jonah ever was."
=I looked at the floor with a guilty expression=

"I've just been hogging the attention lately is all."

Eve poked Sam's cheek. "Mommy had me for two years. Just Daddy...and we're...doing our best." She rested her head on Sam's shoulder.

(Sam)
"I know. But try and see it from his view Eve. I now him very well. He lost his family, got a new one in the caravan, and then lost that. Now he's got another family, you and Hibiki. He wants to be close to both of you very much, to be loved by you both. He wants to be your father."
=I looked her in the eyes=

"Maybe tomorrow, or even for a few days after tomorrow, you can spend less time with me.....and more with him?"

"He is my father...I love him." Eve said firmly. "But I fought for so long to win your love...so hard..." she looked right back. "That leaving so soon is hard."

(Sam)
"I know Eve. But we've had weeks......even more, together. All I'm asking is that you give him a few days."

"You better where the cop costume and use handcuffs then. Always wanted to do a cops and robbers roleplay." She said softly.

(Sam)
=I couldn't help but glare a bit at her=
"Fine. I'll be all set to arrest the little girl who wanted to spend more time on a booty call than with someone trying to be a good father."

Eve actually look hurt at that one. "Fine. Come find me after mommy and daddy are done with rheir booty call."

She stormed out of the room and out of the house, then began to look for a climable tree.

(Sam)
=Well, that certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Then again, what I said was intended to be hurtful, though not that much. And it did occur to me that there was soft moaning coming from the direction of James and Hibiki's room. It wasn't very loud, could have been mistaken for moaning in your sleep during a bad dream. But all the same, I went after Eve. I didn't want there to be too bad a thing between us=

Eve had found a nice oak tree a bit away from the house. She easily climbed into the crown, and hid away from the world that she couldn't seem to escape.

(Sam)
=It actually wasn't all that difficult to find Eve. The tree she was in didn't have that many branches, and with fall coming up some of the leaves had already begun to fall=
"Eve, I know you're up there. Not going to ask you to come down, but I will say I'm sorry for what isaid back there. I didn't mean for it to be so harsh."

=Sitting down, back to the trunk of the tree, I looked out at the street=
"It's just.....look, I'm an orphan. Moved from one foster home to another. Never had a real father, or anyone who loved me like a father should. And now here you are, already done getting rid of one monster of a father in exchange for........for a really sweet, wonderful, loving man, who wants to be the father you deserved. And it just upsets me......even frustrates me, when you want to be with me more than him. Especially when I see how it hurts him."

Eve listened, and was quiet.
For a minute.

"Have tou ever thought I'm afraid of fathers, no matter how much I love him? I know he is the greatest father ever. But after one father tortured you, left scars so every time I had ro wash myself I would remember, then sent me to a place where I was again abused and tortured...why..how do you expect me to act normal when I've been hurt by a father for so long I have to replay the images of Jonah being torn apart by walkers just to know that my nightmare was over and my daddy is there for me? Why do you expect me to let go of...of my...love...when I barely can show I love."

Eve fell silent. She had begun blabbing and sort of ranting.

She had no idea what she had really said l.

(Sam)
"Eve, I'm not asking you to let go of your love for me. But he's a good man Eve. I know you love him. Not asking you to just drop everything, forget everything, and run and play with him. But.....look, I've been helping you with your troubles, right? Let him help you as well."

Eve punched the tree.
"You don't get it. I'm afraid. I gave all my trust to Jonahm all my love. And he turned me into a fucking monster. Why should I trust a man I've known for barely a month or two so explicitly, so readily?" She whimpered. "I barely trust myself to call him daddy."

(Sam)
"Eve....you don't have to trust him right off the bat. Just....ease into it. Let him show you that you can trust him."
=Leaning back against the tree trunk, I gazed up at the branches=

"Bit so far, everything I've seen suggests you've got nothing to fear from him. He accepted you when he learned the truth about you. He took care of you when we got separated. And he's been more than willing to spend time with you. So while you don't have to jump right in, I think it's safe to say yo have nothing to worry about."

Eve kicked the tree, then lost her balance. She tumbled down but managed to catch a branch and righten herself sonshe fell feetfirst, where she touched down and crunpled from the force.
She sat up.
"Fine." Was all she said before standing up to brush herself off.

(Sam)
=Standing up, I pulled her into a hug, pressing her face against my chest=
"Look, I know what I'm asking isn't easy for you. And I'm sure that you're even frustrated, even angry with me right now. But I'm proud of you for doing this, it will mean a lot to him."

Eve was taken back...but hugged back.
"Sam. I...I have tp show you...why I hate attics...why I...I'm afraid of daddy..." she sniffed. "I'll do it...but you...you have to understand..."
She peeked up. "Ok?"

(Sam)
=Looking down at her, I frowned a bit=
"Okay."

Taking Sam's hand, Eve led her back to the house and to their room. Sitting Sam down on the bed, she made sure Sam covered her eyes.
Eve stripped bare, and stepped closer. "Sam...I'm warning you know that I'm naked. But...it is how no one's seen these..."

Sam, once she opened her eyes, would see scars all over Eve's upper legs, where shorts always covered and where shadows would obscure. Her groin had some that were hidden where the leg met the body.
In all...her back was only the most visible and harsh one.

The rest remained hidden like designed.

(Sam)
=When I opened my eyes......I hissed, mostly in shock, more some in anger. To see her, a child scarred like that, down there......made me hate the Shepherds even more, and suddenly wishing thati had been the one to kill Jonah=
"My god....."

Eve looked away with some shames before slippin panties and her oversized shirt on, forgoing other clothing.
"...do you...understand?" She asked softly.

(Sam)
"Yeah, I do. But still.....you can rest easy Eve. I've known him longer than you, and I know he'd never do anything like that to you."

Eve carefully straddled Sam, resting her head on Sam's chest. Eve wrapped her arms around Sam' waist as well, but her movements weren't displaying sexuality.
"I know. But the fear is there." She nuzzled Sam's chest, looking for comfort. "I need time."

(Sam)
"Fears always going to be there until we confront it Eve. And it only gets worse, the longer you hold off that confrontation."

"Please Sam. One day. Just give me one more day...day after tomorrow...please." she begged quietly. "I'll keep my arrest fantasies and the like out of it all until I've spent time with daddy." She looked up from her nuzzling. "P...please?"

(Sam)
"Oh alright. But if not for him, then for me?"

"Both of you." Eve said. "Both."
She just rested her head on Sam's chest. "Please...hold me. I won't try to get intimate. I promise. I...just want...comfort." she felt tears well. "I haven't shown anyone those scars. Not even mommy."

(Sam)
"Alright Eve."
=And with that, I wrapped my arms around her=

Eve relaxed in the embrace.
"Don't...don't tell mommy of my scars. I...I have to...be brave...and tell them...myself." she smiled softly. "A...and...tha k you...for being here for me..."

(Sam)
"I won't say anything Eve. I'm not brave enough to tell your mom anyway."

Eve giggled softly. "I know...I'm scared too..." she resisted the urge to run her hands up Sam's back, but looked up and gave Sam a soft, quick kiss on the lips. "Not to ruin the mood...but...I need to change my bandages..."

(Sam)
"Ah. Okay, well lets get to it then."

Standing carefully, she retrieved bandages from her bag and sat down on the bed, slipping her shirt off.
"So...now to be intimate....don't suppose a girl could have some cuddling after her bandages are changed?" She asked tentatively.

(Sam)
"Honestly, I don't know, seems like all we ever do is cuddle."
=As I spoke, I began removing the old bandages and applying new clean ones=

"We could have sex instead." Eve said, sticking her tongue out at Sam. "But...sorry... I...really like it...I feel safe...its my....happy place, if my...terms are correct? That's probably wrong..."

(Sam)
"I always thought a happy place was that one area on your mind you retreat to, when you block out the world."

"Oh. Right." Eve sighed. "Least we both enjoy it."