ZRP-2 Chapter 7: Mutation

Ella didn't return the grin. "Oh save the sweet talking for when I'm not recovering from an arrow to the knee, because I'm really not in the mood."

Hayley sighed. "Well, there goes healing through laughter..." She sighed.

"Heal first, laughter later," Ella sighed as she let her head fall back on the sofa.

Hayley shrugged and leaned against the sofa, head hung.
"Least your wounds will heal faster."

Andrew and Sarah walked back to the house, Sarah heaving a slight sigh. Andrew added two and two together quite quickly. He gave her a pat on the shoulder, "You wanted her to come to our place didn't you?" Sarah blinked for a moment, and nodded mutely. Andrew chuckled, "It wasn't that hard to figure out, Sarah."

The two then looked at each other and let out a laugh.Andrew, Sarah thought, You know me too well. Of course...You are my brother, after all. And by this point, Andrew had probably figured out which way Sarah swung by this time as well.

I slumped down onto the couch and scratched my head. My mind was racing with questions like why they decided to attack now? Didn't they think it through? And where did they go? I sigh and I lay my head back.

Marcus nodded again. "Agreed. On the bright side, they're all gathering around the gate, and that's just one of them. We just need to slip out where they're not." "Yeah," James said. "Problem is to take these guys on, we're going to need a lot of people. And we can't move that large a group quietly or unseen." Shaking his head, James already started walking away. "Let me work out the details with Hibiki, and you can do the same with Cooper and Clara. For now.....it's time for a break." Marcus nodded, and they parted ways.

Mira stayed silent.

Jenn sat beside Tyler. "hey. We're alive." She joked. "Why so glum?"

"Yeah, and for now what I'd like is to just rest, now that I know this is going to be okay," Ella said. James arrived just as she finished, walking through the door. "Ella, you okay?" he asked, to which Ella managed to lift her head to look at him. "Yeah I'm good. Our little medic here is good at what she does."

Hayley blushed lightly. "I wouldn't be a medic if I wasn't good at it."

"I don't know," Sam said as she walked down the stairs. "I mean I've known people who said they were sharpshooters, but couldn't shoot for shit. Like James here," she said, a sly wink following the remark. "Oi, I can shoot just fine. Saved your life on more than one occasion."

"...in this world...it's best to not be boastful. Pride can get you killed." Hayley said quietly.

"Or pride can get you a certain measure of respect," Ella said, wincing a bit as she sat up and moved her leg. "Like right now. I respect the hell out of you, for patching my leg up."

"I'd take respect over pride." She looked over. "It's my job. I help those I can..."

"Well whatever it is....thanks," James said. He moved over to Hibiki, giving her a kiss before moving to an empty seat. "So, Marcus wants to attack the men who attacked us asap. Told him I'd consult the idea with you first."

Hayley and Hibiki blinked.
"Attacking?"
"I already told you everything I know..." Hayley said. She shifted uncomfortably. "...I just want some time to actually get used to the fact I'm not a bandit prisoner. only kept alive because of medical training and the fact I'm a bloody girl."

"Yeah, I'm glad you made it out okay. But it doesn't make sense. Why would they attack us? Couldn't they have guessed it wouldn't work out for them?"

"They thought they would have the upper hand, with surprise I guess. And they probably didn't know that we had this much firepower." Jennifer shrugged.

"I dunno... I guess I expected them to be smarter considering they survived this long. Anyway, any idea where they ran off too?"

"And I believe you," James said. "But the fact remains we need to squash them now, before we give what happened today time to sink in. Three of our people are dead because of this, and their friends will want blood. They won't care you were a hostage, it will be aggression by association."

Hayley sighed. "Yeah, well, let the bastards and bitches know that hating the rape victim is stupid, and they can go fuck themselves with a fork."

"Yeah, that's going to earn friends quickly," Sam said as she sat on the stairs. "Look, it's a bit of a win/win here--we destroy the guys that attacked us, you get rid of the men who held you captive."

"Sorry if my view has turned cynical after a few weeks of being a bandit's toy."
Eve slipped behind Sam and hugged her girlfriend's neck. "I can imagine..." she said softly.

"Can't argue there," Sam said. "But the point remains," Ella spoke up, "that the sooner we deal with those bandits, the sooner we can breathe a little bit easier. Especially you I'm guessing," she said, indicating Hayley.

Hayley nodded. "But I'm not a fighter...I'll stay and make sure your leg stays alright."
Eve rests her head on Sam's. "So. We're gonna go fight some bandits?"

"Looks like it," Sam said. She looked to James for some input. "Right now, it's getting late in the day," he said. "Going out there now, would be suicide. Better to attack them at dawn."

Hibiki nodded. "Sam is right. We should all get some rest, then head out in the morning. But...James, we might need to leave either me or Sam behind to watch Hayley and Ella...the town isn't exactly ready to let them stay alone."

"Let's leave Sam. I'm not about to go out there without......." he stopped himself, realizing he was about to say something intimate in public.

Hibki smiled, then looked at Sam.
"You ok with staying behind? I probably will need Eve, so sorry."

"I'm good," Sam said. "I don't mind playing babysitter."

Eve kissed Sam's hair. "Well, you've babysat me for awhile. No worries."

"Well, that's settled then," James said. "Ella, you and your friends stay inside. Same goes for you Hayley; the less people see of you guys right now, the better."

"I'll stay right here with the patient. Might try and clean my clothes. Maybe take a nap."

Eve kissed Sam...really intimately....then went to James. "Ready daddy."

He sighed a bit, not surprised at Eve's open display of affection. "We're not going tonight Eve. I already said that at this hour, leaving would be too dangerous."

Eve blinked. "...right." she went back to Sam, sighing as she was annoyed with herself.

"Well for now, nothing to do but rest. Hayley......we may have some clean clothes around here. The family that lived in this house had some spare clothes, feel free to check, if Hibiki doesn't mind letting you in our room?" James asked, looking at his wife.

"I dont mind. Sam? Will you show her upstairs? I need to go get Eve cleaned up, if you'll let me spend some time with my daughter." She asked politely.

"Sure. Come on Hayley, let's see what we've got for you to wear." Standing up, she started to walk up the stairs.

Hayley followed Sam. "Um. Not to be rude...but...how old is that girl? I...it just seems...Im sorry, it's the cop in me." She looked away.

Hibiki kissed James. "Im gonna take Eve to the river. Be back." The headed out.

Sam sighed a bit. "Sixteen, but she's only three years younger than me. Trust me, it was awkward for me when I first started out."

James stayed in the living room with Ella, who was starting to relax a bit more. "So....starting to get outnumbered here huh? I mean just you and Aiden, vs me, Estel, Eve, Sam, Hibiki, and now Hayley. Most guys would be thrilled." He chuckled, sitting in a seat opposite her. "Yeah well I'm not most guys, as you already know."

"Oh." Hayley looked a bit taken back. "Im sorry, I...I didnt mean to imply you might be a pedophile. Im sorry."

Hibiki and Eve stripped and slid into the river. Hibiki let Eve splash a bit, then pulled her over and began washing her. "So...were you ever going to tell me of the scars?"
"...no."
Hibiki chuckled, but didnt pry further.

"Ha, no harm no foul," Sam said. "Look.....she and I are all we've got. And that's enough for us."

"No you most certainly are not," Ella said with a sly grin. "She's lucky you know. Hibiki I mean." He looked up at her. "I mean yeah you've changed. Become different, harder I suppose. Stronger. But you're still at your core the same James I loved.....even if it was never Love." James chuckled a bit. "Yeah well I suppose you had poor luck. I mean if only I was a girl...." Ella laughed at that. "You know, you kinda always were sometimes."

"I understand." Hayley watched as Sam went into a room, then followed. "...I dont mean to pry further, but...I kinda...havent really been with girls besides playful kisses...how is it?"

As Hibiki washed Eve's back, the young girl began to hum softly.

Sam blushed as they entered the main bedroom. "Uh....well, I don't kiss and tell, but I can safely say that it feels....amazing. Kissing's got nothing on the kind of toe curling things that can be experienced."

"What? Just because I happened to be a sensitive guy?" he quipped. Ella made a choking sound. "No, not because of that. Because you had more girls as friends than guys. You were more comfortable around us and not your own gender."

"Thank you. Thats my only question..." she paused. "I...Im honestly....uncomfortable with men now..to be honest....thats why Im asking."

Hibiki hugged Eve, and aat in the river to listen. "Love you kiddo."

"Well I'd suggest James but he's taken. Decent enough guy......but then again I've been wrong now and then," Sam said as she opened one of the drawers.

"Yeah.....but a lot of the guys in school were assholes," James said. Ella chortled, saying "That they were. Still, the same could be said for a lot of girls."

Hayley paused. "Um...i....should undress then?" She didnt know what to do honestly.

Soon Hibiki and Eve got dressed and headed for home.

"Oh, right sorry," Sam said as she headed for the door.

Outside in town, a gathering of people, angry people, began moving for the homes the caravan were housed in.

"Do you hear something?" Ella said, and James stood up. "Yeah.....yeah it almost sounds like.....like a mob."

Hibiki pulled Eve into the shadow of a building.
"What the fuck?"

Hayley stripped. "Any extra underwear?"

"I know Hibiki had some lingerie....but that's really just for her," Sam said, though she trailed off as a noise from outside caught her attention.

Moving to the front window and pulling the blinds aside, James saw the crowd outside, splitting up and going door to door. One of them came to his door, and started banging furiously on it. He moved to it, opening it a crack.....and then it was shoved open and hands grabbed him, dragging him outside. "James!" Ella screamed, struggling to get up.

Sam heard the scream and thundered down the stairs, and saw people, not walkers but people, dragging James outside, while more people came in to grab Ella. Sam rammed into one of them, punching them in the jaw before another one grabbed her from behind, lifting her up as she kicked around, thrashing.

James was dragged over the porch and to the street, flung down to the pavement. He could hear people screaming "Get out!" and "Home wreckers!" the latter of which he found as odd seeing as hoe he was hardly ruining anyone's marriage.