ZRP-2: Chapter 4, Backtracking

A yell was heard.
Then said cat shot away, a rat clamped firmly in her jaws, as she ran off eith her prize. Eve shook her head.
"Nope."

(Sam)
=It was too good. I burst out laughing, despite the events of the past few days=
"Well, at least we know she's being fed. Now we need to keep her safe from everyone else."

(James)
"Eh, she'll be fine."

Eve smiled softly, bumping against Sam.
"Is my Sammy all fed? Not gonna go steal a rat?"

(Sam)
"Which Sammy we talking about here? Me or her?"
=I hoped she didn't mean me, for one reason: the 'my' in her statement. I wasn't a possession, of anyone, even if I loved them. I could deal with "my friend," or lover, or anything else. But the way she said it gave it a sense of ownership=

(Andrew)

=I continue through the crowd, briefly holding my head a bit in pain, muttering a curse=

Goddamn does that still smart...

=I wind my way through the crowd, grabbing a few pieces of jerky, handing a piece to Sarah. She gave me a look of mild dissapproval, but she took it anyways=

At least I didn't get her a rat for goodness sake...

=I took a bite, grateful that I had something to eat=

"You silly." Eve giggled. "Why? Scared of a joke?"

(Sam)
"Not really."

(James)
=We continued to walk around, though there wasn't really anywhere else to go. The little party was centered around the mainstreet, between the hotel and apartment complex. Beyond that, the streets were empty=
I wish Hibiki was here.....but she's earned the rest.

Eve looked at her feet.
"I'm sorry. I just was trying to tease you..."

(Sam)
=My stomach sank a little as she got that sad aura around her=
"Look, it's fine Eve, sorry if I upset you. Just....even as a joke, I'm not that good with being called a possession."

"I didn't mean to say I possessed you..." Eve let her hair block her eyes. "I...I just can't help teasing you...nor can I stop wanting to hug you all the time."

(Andrew)

=I wandered about, feeling good about getting Sarah out of the room. I spotted James amongst the crowd, but I debated whether or not I should bring up what happened last night=

I should talk to him about it...but should I do it a different time...?

=I continue to wander around, still lost in thought as to what I should do=

(Sam)
"Well on that note, a little self restraint never hurt anyone Eve. But I appreciate the thought."

(James)
=I debated whether or not to go back to my room, and check on Hibiki. Even if she was still asleep.....I wanted to be near her=

"I thought that was restrained..." Eve admitted. She then sighed.
"Thank you, for last night...letting me spoon...I....I felt safe again..."

(James)
=Hearing Eve say 'spooned' despite her maturity......was still kinda odd for me. Maybe because she was my daughter now=
"Hey, will you two be okay on your own?"

(Sam)
"Yeah, why?"

(James)
"I just.....need to be somewhere is all."

(Sam)
"Ah.....go on, we'll be fine James. Besides, you look tired."

(James)
"That I am."
=I smiled at Eve, hugging her for a brief moment before leaving, heading for my room=

Eve hugged back.
"Bye daddy."

As James left, Eve frowned. "Did I say something wrong Sam?"

(Sam)
"No, no you didn't say anything Eve. I guess he just needs to rest up a little. Come on, lets see what else they're doing around here."

(James)
=Walking back to the hotel, I realized just how weary I really was, even with the nap I took earlier. I was sore, especially in my legs, and wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere soft and warm. And I knew just where to look, as I opened the door of my room. Hibiki was still there, fast asleep on the bed. Laying down next to her, I gently kissed her forehead before I closed my eyes. I wasn't going to sleep that quickly.....but it was relaxing, at the very least=

(Andrew)

=I continue to wander about, just enjoying this moment of rest. The main thing that kept me happy was that Sarah was out of the room and outside, but I would probably get an earful from Cooper for letting her out at all=

Two can play at that game...

=Right now...Nothing could really ruin this moment=

Eve nodded, her hand tightening around Sam's.
Ahe didn't know if she should...or could...say anything.

(Sam)
=To be honest.....there really wasn't much else to do. No one had set up any carnival games, so the excitement was mostly just people talking, laughing, and eating=


*Cooper*
"Engineering team, what's the status on that train?"

--Train Yards--

*Engineer*
"Sir, the train appears to be in working order, but we need fuel for it. If I'm right, it's one of those hybrids, a diesel-electric engine. So we're going to need gas, and a lot of it. Hell, we might use up all the fuel we have back at the compound. You sure about this boss?"

*Cooper*
"Well, when you put it like that not that much. But if we're really going through with this plan, to unite others against the Shepherds, then we need a way to reach other cities or locations, while bypassing the roads."

"Can we go back to the room? I just want to lie down and...be able to snuggl up to my...best friend without being cramped in a really annoying hospital bed."
She blushed. "My bad dreams are scared of your shotgun I think."

(Sam)
"Heh, maybe. But I want to stretch my legs for a bit before going back, maybe take a walk."

"Ok...that works."
Eve smiled softly. "Lead the way."

(Sam)
=Holding her hand, I lead onward down the street. It was going to be a quiet walk, of that I had no doubt=

The rat eaten, Sammy licked her paws and continued on. She sniffed, then sprinted.
She smelled a bird.
It smelled delicious.

(Sam)
=We walked for a bit, silence between the two of us. In point of fact, there was nothing else really between us, I held her that close to me as we walked. I guess on a certain level I was still afraid of her being grabbed and taken away=

Eve gladly snuggled with Sam, the girl relaxed and happily quiet. Sam was keeping her close.
Eve was fine with whatever reasons she had.

(James)
=It was hard for me to sleep. Not that I was having nightmares or anything......I just wasn't sleeping. I felt tired, my body was sore, and I longed for nothing more than to drift off into sleep. But something kept me up. Like there was, dare I say it....a disturbance in the force=

(Sam)
=I stopped by a bench, sitting down and looking out at the river, still a bit of a distance away=
"So.....any idea what they have planned next?"

Eve looked at Sam. She...kinda wanted to sit on Sam's lap. But she'd get upset. Eve knew it
So Eve sat beside Sam, snuggling up.
"I don't know..."

(Sam)
"Maybe for now, they'll have us stick to food runs or something. Hopefully there won't be anymore assaults on compounds."

"I'd rather be stuck with sleep duty..." Eve said. "It's safer."

(Sam)
"Ha, I guess it is."
=It didn't seem like there was a lot else to say, so I leaned back against the bench=

Eve laid down on her side, nestling her head innSam's lap. Her fac wasnlooking away from Sam. Ahe got comfortable.
She had nothing to say, either.

*Cooper*
"Alright, we'll wait a few days, give ourselves time to unwind and regroup. I want a team put together, to check on our fuel reserves so we know just how much gas we have left. If its below what we need to run this thing and keep our stuff running, we'll have to organize a fuel run."

*Engineer*
"Got it. How far should we look?"

*Cooper*
"Maybe ten, twenty miles for starters. If nothing turns up, we abandon the train."

Doctors came in finally, checked me out along with the other people. They replaced my bandages and told me I should stay longer.
However, I can go if I want. They can't hold me here. But should I feel any drousiness, dizziness or sudden spikes of pain I should come back.
I thanked them, stood up and left the building. Finding a small celebration going on.

Wait? A fair, here?

(Sam)
"I wonder how much food we have left, for the city I mean. Think it'll last us long?"

Eve sighed
"I don't know...I don't know."

(Sam)
"Heh, maybe they'll send us out to look for a farm or ranch, maybe start bringing in cows. That, or we start hunting any deer in the area."
=I looked out at the river, and there was a sudden thought in my head=

"Or we could always try fishing. Hey, maybe James would want to teach you how to fish. I'm sure that would be a nice father daughter moment he'd like to have."

"I'd like that." Eve said. "You teach me to hunt, and daddy teaches me to fish."
Rolling onto her back, Eve reached up to lightly poke Sam's cheek.
"Or mommy could, and you teach me to actually be in a relationship...all I know is holding hands, hugging, kissing, being together...um...that one thing that got mommy pregnant...and...having feelings that feel so strong you can do anything..."

(Sam)
=My cheeks heated up at the part about 'that thing that got mommy pregnant' and I started coughing for a second=
"Uh, I don't think we'll need to go over that bit in any way Eve. And to be honest, you kinda have the basics already. Also, I doubt I could teach you to hunt, I'm not that good at it."

"But the basics don't feel like everything. I want to do everything right this time...I...I don't want to end up like last time...ya know?"
Eve smiled shyly.

(Andrew)

=I find a seat, sort of lost in thought for a brief moment. I then look to my sister, and then a thought comes to me=

Yeah...I think I'm being a bit too clingy...I don't know, but I think I'm getting that vibe from her...

=I then just look out towards the fair--for lack of a better word--and just sit there enjoying the free time we had=

(Sam)
"Yeah, and sometimes the best way to do things right, is to do them slow."
=There was a sharp pain in my forehead, right above my nose. Sinus headache, and a bad one=

"Hey Eve, do we still have that bottle of Tylenol in the room? I got a bad headache here."

Eve got up and kissed Sam's nose.
"That should keep you ok till I get back." She said playfully.

Eve ran off happily, and soon skidded to a stop and opened the door to her and Sam's room.

=As the door opened, the man waiting patiently in her room sat down at the edge of her bed, calmly cutting off a piece of an apple with his knife. He was wearing the uniform of an Elite guard, so no one would recognize him or question him as he moved in or out of the compound. His face was in need of a shave, a large amount of stubble covering his face. His eyes, dark brown and devoid of any real emotion, stared at Eve as she entered the room=

(Pariah)
"Well hello there Eve. Glad we could finally meet."