ZRP-2: Chapter Two, Paradise in Hell

"Was that Cooper?"

Hibiki had just woken up, and was sitting up groggily, rubbing her eyes.

(James)
"Yeah....he had news from Clarissa: we have allies here now, and they're going to help us now in the war."
=I sat down at my own bed, still feeling weary.....with good reason I guess=

"Guess this means we'll have to go back to Marcus, give him the good news."

Hibiki then stumbled out of bed and carefully, very carefully, straddled James, hugging his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Hold me James..."
The stress, the victory, everything...she was burned out.

And, well, she wanted to be held. She thought, in her half-awake state, she at least deserved that.

(James)
=Smiling, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace, my chin resting on her shoulder, as I took in her scent. It felt good, beyond good actually, to hold her, despite the semi argument we had=

Hibiki smiled into his shoulder, relaxing.
"This is what I fight for. These moments...this child...Eve...Sam...you."

(James)
"Same here......and I guess, for Harry, Tom, and Jaime. Well, maybe Harry more than them, they hardly knew me, or even liked me that much."
=It was true really, those two didn't like me all that much in camp. The only reason they hugged me during the massacre of the caravan was because I was the only one there, other than Sam and Andrew, that they knew, that they trusted=

Hibiki smiled. "They like you...you're hard to dislike unless the other party is a complete asshole."


Meanwhile, Eve rolled over, starting to sweat as a nightmare started to set in.

(James)
"Which seems to be very often now a days."
=I clung to her, as she clung to me. I wasn't willing to let go of her, so much was the need in me to feel her=

"They start it." She giggled.


Eve's nightmare started. She could see her betrayl again, except this time she didn't beat it.
This time...this time she watched as Jonah raped her mother.
Murdered her father.
She watched as the Lockdown Town was attacked. Guards slaughtered, woman were rounded up, the Shepherds already abusing them, reading for the party at camp.
Sam.
NO! Eve shouted helplessly as James' severed head was thrown before her. Her cries...
Then, with James' sightless eyes staring at them, Jonah raped Sam.

Eve shot up, sweating. "SAM!" she said, sobbing.

(Sam)
=I woke with a start at the sound of Eve's scream, almost jumping out of bed (and tripping from the tangled sheets) as I moved to her bed, grabbing her shoulders=
"Eve! Eve what's wrong?"

Eve looked.
She was ok.
Eve pretty much tackled Sam to the ground, her arms, small and slim, clutching her like iron. She sobbed into her upper chest.
"You're ok, you're ok." She repeated. Sam could feel the sweat and her heart beating faster then normal.

(Sam)
"Eve, it was just a nightmare. I'm fine. I'm going to be fine."
=I gently stroked her hair, whispering the reassurance into her ear, my voice calm, soothing=

Eve's heartbeat decreased slowly; her heaving chest began to stop, and she relaxed her grip slowly but surely.
But she didn't let go or move.
"I didn't beat it...I didn't beat the brainwashing. Everyone died. Mommy was hurt. You...you were...were..." she let out a choked sob, keeping her face hidden. "I was so scared."

(Sam)
"Eve, you have beat it. What happened was just a nightmare, a fear nothing more. It won't happen unless you make the choice for it to happen."

Eve looks up. "I won't let it win. But it felt so real..." She scooted up to press her cheek against Sam's. "Please don't let me go." She said, sounding far younger and more scared then she rightfully should be from a mere nightmare.

(Sam)
=I wasn't about to let go of her. Almost crushing her against me, I held her tightly as I did what I could to comfort her=

Eve finally calmed down after a few minutes, but didn't move.
"I know i promise...but please...don't let me go to sleep out of your hug. Just for tonight?"

(Sam)
=Smiling, I laid back down on the bed, pulling her with me, keeping her cheek firmly pressed against my own=
"Promise."

Eve closed her eyes, never letting go, and not moving away.
"I love you...always..."
Eve drifted off to sleep, and her small body fitted against Sam's. Her heart beat was slow, her breathing deep and uneven. Eve had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

(Sam)
=She fell asleep in my arms, and I continued to stroke her hair, breathing softly against her neck. In time, I slowly drifted off to sleep, a light doze as opposed to her deep sleep=

Hibiki finally pulled her head back and gave James a short but sweet kiss. "Thanks James...I needed that." She made to get up, apparently heading back to her bed.

(James)
=I held onto her, pulling her back to me=
"Please....don't go. Stay with me, just a little bit more?"

Hibiki smiled, nodding. "Of course."
She rested her forehead against James', closing her eyes.

(James)
=I gave her a light kiss on the lips, not as an invitation for anything more, but as a gesture of thanks for staying with me=

Hibiki returned it, just resting against him.
"If you get put into a wheelchair again, I'll kill you myself...you know how badly I've wanted this?"

(James)
"Yeah, and you'll still have to wait a little bit longer."
=I grinned a little=

"Wait a bit longer for the sex. But just being like this, close to you, and unlikely to majorly hurt you? It's all I really want in the end..." She smiled. "It's peaceful..."

(James)
"In the end.....peace is all we really ask for, I think."

"It is." Hibiki said. "It is."

Meanwhile...Eve dreamed of her and Sam at that park again...she had her head back in Sam's lap. Sam was stroking her hair...her smile.
That's all that Eve truly wanted...to be loved.
In her sleep, she smiled softly.

(James)
=I stroked her hair, holding her close to me. A fire in me yearned to strip her of her clothing, to run my hand across her smooth, naked flesh. But I didn't really want that, not really. I just wanted to be with her, like this=
"So, what happens next?"

"You're asking me? I just wanted to be held then go to bed." She admitted.

(James)
"I meant for this, this war. We have allies now, but where do we go from here? Storm the gates of each Shepherd camp, or find more allies?"

"More allies. As we grow, we can storm more camps." She answered.

(James)
"Yeah but where? We have one town, and an Elite compound. I doubt there'll be many bandits or raiders that want a part of this, and who knows how many towns are still alive."

"We have to search. And there are bound to be more Elite Compounds. Think...The Hamptons? And any military base is something. What about..." Hbiki grins. "Rhode Island?"

(James)
"Heh, maybe.....If I were them, I'd go somewhere where there was bound to be a shitload of power, and they wouldn't need to worry about fuel for it either."
=I was deep in thought as I considered places like that. Renewable energy was on the rise before the outbreak actually, so there were a few places like that=

"Hoover Dam?"

"That would work." Hibiki replied. "Next stop I guess?"

(James)
"Would be quite the trip. Besides, we have no way of knowing if there's anyone there."

Hibiki sighed. "It's worth a try. I could go scout on that bike."

(James)
=The thought of her leaving, on her own made me hold her tighter=
"No.....you're not leaving us, me, while you out on your own. We stick together Hibiki, that's what we do now."

=I looked down at her stomach=
"All three of us."

Hibiki smiled softly. "Ok." She conceded.

(James)
=Looking back into her eyes, I pressed my mouth against hers in another gentle kiss, before moving back to lay down on the bed=
"Maybe we should get some sleep now?"

Hibiki nodded, then laid down beside James, curling up by his side.
"I love you."

(James)
=My right hand cradled her head, her hair soft smooth against my palm, while my left traveled down to her stomach. For a brief moment I debated how the action would be taken, before I wormed the hand beneath the hem of her shirt, placing my four fingered hand on her belly, the soft warmth of her skin a delightful sensation against the roughness of my palm=
"I love you too."

Hibiki smiled, placing a hand over the one James held on her belly.
"Thought of any names?"

(James)
"Other than the ones before? Not one. You?"
=I rested my forehead against hers, my eyes closed as I relaxed in the moment=

"Akhenatan." Hibiki answered, deadpan.

(James)
=I puffed out a breath, something of a laugh, not once opening my eyes=
"Really? Bit of a mouthfull that one."

"That meant I have no clue." She shot back.

(James)
"Quite the parents we're turning out to be. Can't even think of a good name for our child."
=I was silent for a bit=

"Are there any names in Japanese you ever thought about?"