Futuristic Beyond the Dome

[Gobbo]

Eli stared at her blankly for a moment as she told him she was a better thief, though the blank stare only lasted a moment before the corners of his lips pulled up in a small smirk. If that was the case, he'd have to prove to her that she had a lot to learn about lifting stuff. His competitive nature was showing again, with the look that he was giving her.

His attention was diverted when she told him what the chips were, and he blinked slowly as she pulled out the pamphlet. He tried to read what the cover said, but words that long were too much of a challenge right now. He did, however, know exactly what a microprocessor was. He'd heard the techs in Genesis talking about them, and how valuable they were. He had heard of another Scavver bringing back three of them and having enough coin to last him the next year. Abraham paid very, very well for tech like this. His eyes widened slightly as it dawned on him how much he was holding in his hand with just one sitting there.

Then she pulled out more.

His eyes got progressively wider until she pulled out the last one, placing the seventh on top of the other six. Okay, maybe she was a better thief than he was giving her credit for. A much better thief.
"C-Carly..." he muttered, staring at them. He was holding a literal fortune in his hands. "You... I..." he stammered, finally tearing his eyes away from the chips to look at her. He didn't even have it in him to fight her on this. He would just have to use the coin to get her something, if she wasn't going to keep them for herself.

"Do you know how much this is worth?" he asked, staring at her. "I could kiss you right now."

 

[FaithWynters]

Carly’s smile faltered for only a moment as her name came stumbling out of his mouth. Her head tilted in curiosity. What had gotten into him? She was just about to ask him if he was alright again when he spoke. The question pulled a quiet hmm out of her as she tossed it over in her mind.

He seemed to forget that she had no need for money. At least from her perspective, money was some countably infinite thing that her father provided for her. If she needed it, he had provided it. If she had wanted it, she would receive it—in the confines of reason of course. Never had she walked into a store and purchased something. It was another strange thing that she felt like she was missing out for not doing. It was interesting to ponder the fact that she had no idea how much it even cost to exist in this world—especially in the lavish that she did. Carly pushed it out of her mind before it took up too much time.

So no...She knew they were worth a lot, but what that particularly meant in this situation, she had no idea. She shrugged, and for a moment her eyes cast down in uncertainty. She began messing with her hands in her lap; what she was about to say could end up hurting really badly if the response wasn’t what she was expecting.

“I dunno…Maybe enough to take off a few days to spend in Genesis with me?” There was this little vein of hope in her words, and for a moment, she didn’t look up. She just sat there and thought over what he had said. Glancing up at him, their eyes locked, and her grin returned. He always was the overdramatic one. He was right. He could kiss her. Eli could have kissed her at any point during the trip. Carly thought back to the fear that snuck up the back of her neck and invaded her mind that morning. None of that fear remained. It didn’t matter what happened. Eli would be with her in Genesis if she had to sneak him in herself.

“You better watch saying things like that, Eli. Word might get out that you’re all bark and no bite.” She gave him a playful wink before looking back to the processors in his hand, flipping on over to look at the back. They would go to much better use with him. It didn’t hurt her one bit to part with the little pieces of metal. She had scavenged them; that’s all that mattered to her.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli's eyes locked on her at her suggestion as to how to spend the money, and he could feel his breath stop. The amount of money the chips would bring him could last him years... Or a few days topside with her. The decision, however difficult, was made up instantly the moment he compared the two.
"If I'm lucky, and use my charm, I could probably make it a week." he said with a warm smile. It didn't take a second thought to realize that he would much rather spend the money on the chance to see her again, rather than spend it on anything he could think of. It was in that moment that he realized how important she was to him.

Her casual words as she flipped the processors over made him pause. There it was again. The tightness in his chest, and the beginning ebbs of adrenaline slipping into his veins. What he was sure she meant as a joke, also sounded suspiciously like a challenge. They had skirted and played around the subject earlier, and though it was difficult to judge if she was just playing or not, his gut feeling was that she wasn't. He learned a long time ago that his gut was hardly ever wrong.

He closed his hand around the processors and tucked them into his jacket pocket, leaving his hand empty for what he was about to do. He reached up, gently cupping her face in his hand, tilting her head just enough to lock eyes with her for a moment.
"We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

He leaned forward, closing the distance just enough to bring his lips to hers. It wasn't a crashing, passionate kiss, as much as he would have liked for it to be. The kiss was laced with fire, but gentle at the same time. It was a quiet moment of passion, almost as if he were testing the waters. He knew he would pull a reaction from her, but he still wasn't sure what it would be. He would leave that up to her to decide. It was the only way he could think of to properly show her how happy he was to have her as a stowaway.

 

[FaithWynters]

Her heart skipped at Eli’s words. He was actually considering it. The small flame of hope burned a little brighter as it sunk in. He was willing to spend the time with her. Carly could feel the warmth in her cheeks. It would be a learning experience for sure. Things were so much different in Genesis. He could smile through it, and with her help, he might even be able to rub elbows with some of Genesis’ most wealthy. He would need a shower though and maybe even a shave and a haircut. In Genesis, he might get mistaken for a vagabond one too many times for her liking. Carly closed her eyes for only a moment. She needed to stop making plans for him.

Still, it was fun to think of them walking side by side—maybe even hand in hand—down the market streets and parks. No longer would they have to worry about people coming to kill them or having to scavenge for their next meal or his next paycheck. They could just be. It was different, though than what she did before. Before, being meant staying inside a locked room all day. Being meant watching others unknowingly live their lives. Being was to live to live and nothing more. She knew that, but the thoughts that danced around in her mind sparked new ideas of Genesis and what it could be with Eli there with her.

Carly’s mind betrayed her. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed the look that melted across Eli’s face. She hadn’t even noticed his hand curl up and disappear. The only thing that pulled her out of visions of happiness was the feeling. Looking up from where her eyes had locked onto the nothingness, his eyes were calm. Words did not process fast enough for her mind to catch up to what was happening.

If there had been an inkling of her wanting to stop him, she wouldn’t have been able to in time anyway. Their lips touched in a way that sent an electricity through Carly. Never in a million years would she have thought this would have been her first kiss. She always envisioned it being to some stuffy Genesis aristocrat that got a little too drunk at a party or who had decided to make her his wife. She had always seen it as an unhappy and uncomfortable moment, but this certainly wasn’t that. This just felt right.

When her brain finally caught up again, her heart finally kickstarted again at a rate even faster than when she was getting shot at. Carly pulled away for a moment; one hand had ended up pressed lightly against his chest. She felt her body quiver. Pins and needles danced across warming skin. She was certain he would see the flush and the doe-eyed look she had. There was no way she would get out of that one.

“I…uh…”Once again, the young woman was momentarily speechless. “We certainly wouldn’t.” The words came out breathless as her mind reeled at a million miles a second. She had about as much experience with this—whatever this was—as she did with the wastes. So for a moment, the girl sat there dumbfounded. What came next? Before she could stop herself, their eyes met. The tightness in her chest grew. She wanted to return his small token with one of her own, but for some reason, the worry of looking desperate danced across sweet thoughts.

“My daddy’s gonna kill you.” Her voice lifted as a small smile formed. Fuck that. She was a spoiled princess who knew what she wanted. She was Carly Elizabeth Fucking Kemsley. She didn’t think, and before she could stop herself, the words had escaped her lips and she had leaned in and closed the distance once more. She only let it last for a few moments. The heat in her cheeks threatened to melt her and her confidence slowly dwindled. Carly Elizabeth Fucking Kemsley only lasted for a few long seconds. Now, she was just Carly. Just Carly who had no experience and no way of knowing if she was doing any of this right.

The young woman pulled away, letting her head come to hide back in the crook of his neck. Maybe there Eli couldn’t see the fluster that he had been able to reduce her to.

 

[Gobbo]

Any thoughts of the kiss being a mistake melted away with the kiss. Well, in a way this was a mistake, but it was one that he'd gladly make over and over. He didn't care about what her father might do if he found out, not anymore. As she pulled away, his eyes met hers, and he knew she had no idea what to do. For a brief moment that fear flashed in his mind, wondering if his timing was wrong... At least, until she spoke.

He laughed softly, slowly catching his breath. The kiss was intoxicating, and only now did he realize the kind of effect she had on him. "Then I'll die happy." was all he managed to say before she suddenly leaned in and returned the kiss with one of her own. The movement surprised him, but he gladly slipped his arms around her and melted into it. The fact that she returned the kiss was enough to get his heart racing, and though it wasn't easy to make him blush, his face certainly flushed.

When she pulled away, he was glad for a moment that she hid in the crook of his neck. He knew there was no end of shit she'd give him for seeing him blush like that. It gave him a few moments to recover, though his breath was still short.
"Maybe he'll go easy on me and just torture me for daring to kiss his darling daughter." he said with a little laugh. It was a legitimate concern, though at the moment he really didn't care. The urge to kiss her had been looming in his mind since that morning.

He sighed softly, resting his cheek against her hair. After a moment of silence he sighed, content. "We should probably keep moving..." he said. "You don't have to move if you don't want." He smirked a little, shifting the rig into first. He could drive and hold her at the same time... He didn't want to lose a moment of having her in his arms.

 

[FaithWynters]

If he had noticed the redness of her face or felt it on his skin, Eli certainly didn’t say anything. She centered herself around the sound of him breathing, never quite connecting the dots in her mind as she listened to him as to what the quick intakes of breath meant.

His words, although meant as a joke did not resonate with her merely as that. The worry of Eli ever coming to harm at the hands of her father just because of her sent a chill across her skin every time. Certainly, Abraham Kemsley could be an understanding man. She had seen it many times before—with only her of course. He was sweet and caring…and apparently had a different side to him that Carly did not get to see. It was the uncertainty that worried her the most. If they knew what they were walking into when they made it back to Genesis, Carly could better prepare the defense that would work the best with her father. It was his reactions that were the unknown. Her father was a smart man; certainly, by now he had put two and two together and knew where she had run off to. There weren’t that many places in Genesis that a girl could hide, and her father would have turned over all of those stones. That left only one place, and who else had gone out the same day that she had gone missing? Silently she pieced together the steps her father would have taken. She could see it, but she couldn’t see his emotions. All she knew was that he had probably known for a few days and he was just sitting at home stewing until the Scavver got back. That would certainly make things worse. Carly told herself that she would need to be ready to cause one hell of a ruckus when they got back; there was no telling what her father would do—and to Eli especially.

The silence had spread through the Humvee and she was fine with that. Lost in her thoughts, Carly hadn’t noticed at first that they were moving. She should have been worrying about what had just happened in more of a positive way. What did that mean for them? Certainly, he could read her inexperience in the way she acted any time he got too close or dragged his fingers mindlessly across her skin, and he was okay with that? He was alright with being with someone like her? Woah, woah, woah. Her mind came to a full stop for a moment. She was getting far too ahead of herself. Sure they were together—in the car—and sure there was something there, but did this change anything? Surely it didn’t, but she most certainly hoped that it did. They obviously couldn’t walk around boasting about it. Damn it! She should have listened to some of her friends' boring relationship stories when she had the chance. They had experience in normal relationships—although she was certain that this was anything but normal for either of them.

It was then that she heard the ping of a rock hitting the underbelly of the car and Carly was pulled enough out of her own head that she realized, finally, they were moving. Eli hadn’t even tried to move her; he could do anything while he was driving it seemed. It was strange for her in some ways. Never had she been able to feel so comfortable like this with anyone else. Not with her father or her mother, and while that mostly had made up anyone incredibly close to her for the past twenty years, it was nice that she could have this—especially now as her mind did summersaults over way too many complex problems.

“How long do you think we can go before we have to stop?” The heat had faded a little on her cheeks. Finally, she pulled herself away from his neck to rest more on his shoulder. There was no point in hiding anymore, so she turned her head slightly to look out of the front window. The sun had fully committed to its deep dive back under the horizon and Carly realized how long they had been stopped. It was a needed stop—she couldn’t deny that. Carly had been pushed over the edge and Eli hadn’t been too far behind. They needed to reset. Things were fine now.

Eyes wandered down the length of the seat in front of her. The medkit still sat open in the seat. She noticed the rag with the antiseptic in the floorboard. She still hadn’t gotten a good look at herself, but she worried what would be staring back at her if she got the chance to look. It was then she looked down her front. The leather jacket Eli had given her had lazily fallen open. Below, she could see her pale skin—she really needed to get another shirt. While she thought sports bra/leather jacket combo was a good look for her, it had only caused problems in the compound. It wasn’t any of that though that sent her mind falling backward into the past few hours. Shaking her head pretty hard, she fought off nausea that threatened to seep back into her. She had just gotten okay again! What the hell was wrong with her? She caught her breathing picked up and tried to slow it quietly. With her head still resting on Eli’s shoulder, she hoped that he wouldn’t notice the miniature panic attack she was trying to fight off.

“Stupid…Raider.” The words came out as a quiet grumble—she couldn’t say his name. Not yet had she been forced to come to terms with what she had did, but as she looked down, she saw a silent reminder of what had happened. The pale skin had taken Lanok’s dried blood pretty well. Across her chest, small little spatters of dried blood smiled happily up at her, taunting her. Carly was certain there had been blood on her face too, but Eli hadn’t said anything when he wiped it away. Licking her thumb, she tried to not think about what was on it previously that made it taste bitter. Instead, she began rubbing her skin, trying to coerce the blood off her skin.

 

[Gobbo]

In a strange way, Eli felt more comfortable driving with her in his lap than without. It was a little difficult to reach everything he had to, but he honestly didn't care. She had filled a place in his heart that he'd forgotten was empty. They were both fine, they would both be fine, and that was all that mattered.
He drove at an easy pace, sighing softly as he steered with one hand and had the other wrapped around her. It was comfortable, and he thought back their first meeting. He couldn't help but smirk a little at the thought of pulling her out from under the seat, the shock and horror that went through his mind knowing that he had Genesis' most valuable person out in the wastes with him. He was extremely happy that he didn't just turn around and take her back.

It wasn't until she spoke was he pulled out of his thoughts. "We'll push through until after dark. I'd like to put as much space between us and the compound as we can." he said. They had been sitting there for a long while, and they were close enough that if pursuit vehicles had been sent after them, they would have known already. Still, he wasn't going to take any chances.
He kept his eyes on the road, for the most part. The sunset lit her face beautifully, and he couldn't help but smile softly as he looked at her.

When she grumbled to herself, he could hear her voice shift in a direction that he didn't like. He looked over at her as she tried to scrub the blood off her skin, a small frown pulling at his lips. "Hey, it's okay." he said softly, pulling her a little closer to him.
"You did what you had to, okay?" He wasn't sure how to pull her out of this mindset she was sliding into, so he simply settled for holding her close, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You're okay, Carly...."

 

[FaithWynters]

All she was successful in doing was smearing the redness further across her chest. The quick swipes of her fingers did nothing to resolve the feeling in her mind as it sunk it that this was his blood. She had done this and something in her mind wasn’t quite ready to cope with that. She got lost for a moment in trying to wipe away the last physical reminder she had of what all had happened. The fear she felt then was slowly sinking in again. Pressing her eyes closed, she gritted her teeth. This was going to take a little more getting over than a single cry could do. Heart racing, she felt the arm that had been comfortably draped over her arm tighten around her.

The idea that she had done what she had to do didn’t make her feel better, but it didn’t make her feel worse either. It was debatable on both sides whether that was a fact, but Carly let the words sink in anyway. He had done it enough times—so many times that it was comfortable for him. She told herself to accept what he was offering her. It wasn’t until Eli’s light words whispered in her ear. That was right. She was okay. She was okay. She was okay. Her breathing slowed; the tightness in her chest loosened. Somehow, Eli’s words pulled her out of whatever crevice she had found herself in. It took a few minutes for her to calm, but when she had, she thanked him quietly, lay her head back on his chest, and listened to the sounds of the desert.

. . .​

The next three days couldn’t have gone by faster. The two traveled all day, only stopping to eat occasionally and to sleep. When they finally stopped that first night, the two enjoyed a fun little game together next to the fire. In her rush, Carly had shoved basically anything she could into her pockets. Most of the items she pulled out, Eli could name, so she would try and guess what they were before he told her. Some of the items, though, seemed to be items more commonly found in the dome, so instead, Eli would try to guess what some interesting little contraption was. Some of the items neither of them knew. They were interesting little bits that Carly spent a little too much time on. It was a nice little reprieve from the day though, and the two enjoyed the time they had together while they could.

It was probably the roughest few days of Carly’s life, but with Eli, she was able to manage. The first two nights were hard on her. She always offered to take the first watch. Whether it was because she somehow subconsciously knew each night what was going to happen, or just so that she could take most of the watch for Eli to sleep, it was never quite clear even to her. Most of the time was taken laying on her back and looking up at the stars. She knew that in a few days, all she would be able to see out of her window were the blurry smudges through dome glass.

It would have been a blessing had that been the worst of it. When it was Carly’s turn to rest, she could easily let the exhaustion take over for her, but it was staying asleep that was the hard part. The nightmares were bad enough that she wouldn’t dare describe them to Eli. They would come without warning to her unprotected mind. With a racing heart, she would jolt herself awake, tears streaming down her face. At the moment, she seemed inconsolable, but Eli would pull her into his lap next to the fire and would whisper quiet words to her until she calmed down and fell back asleep in his arms.

On the final night, things got better. Her mind gave her a break and she slept soundly. It had been a blessing for she found herself falling asleep more and more throughout the day in the Humvee, curled up next to Eli while he drove—something that she got irritated at him with. She wanted to spend all the time she could with him awake; there was still some uncertainty as to how much time they would actually get together when they got home.

. . .​

It was another hot day. All the days had been hot, but with the tightness in Carly’s chest, this one seemed worse than the others. Carly had taken up the middle seat in Allison so that they could sit closer together, and now she rested her head on his arm. In the distance, she could very clearly see the giant glass bubble extending over her home. They probably had about half an hour of drive left before they would be entering the garage. Things had been…strange today for her. Trying to keep a positive mood was hard when the uneasiness of what would be happening soon sunk in, but she still did. They had been avoiding the subject for the last few days, but Carly knew that they needed a plan.

“He’s going to be pissed.” It was an obvious statement, but she knew that she needed some way to breach the topic. “Just let me take the brunt of whatever he says, okay?” If she stopped talking, she would lose her nerve. “Don’t tell him it is my fault; that’s the easiest way to piss him off…more than he already will be I guess.” Her words rolled out of her lips quickly. Each moment, the dome got larger. “I didn’t almost die and I didn’t get shot.” Carly had already ditched the bandages somewhere behind them in the desert. The spot in her side had almost healed completely. “We didn’t kiss. We don’t lo—“ She stopped herself. She had avoided that word the entire trip—she wasn’t sure if that was the right word for what this was yet. “We don’t care about each other. You were doing your job bringing me back safely.” Pulling her legs into the seat, she hugged them to her chest. “You didn’t teach me to shoot guns. I didn’t try to teach you to read.” She let out a quiet groan, her head resting on her knees. “And maybe…just maybe…we’ll make it out of this together.” Her voice was muffled by her knees.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli couldn't help but find it strange, the first three days to the compound seemed to take forever. Multiple gunfights, arguing, fighting... The trip back seemed almost completely quiet. Aside from the nights where she would jolt awake, of course. He always stayed close to her side, and never hesitated to pull her close to help her sleep. He had never felt so close to another person, and with every mile they traveled he knew it would come to an end soon.

So, he spent every moment he could as close to her as he could be. There was no telling if or when he'd have another chance like this, so he took full advantage of the time they spent together. He had become accustomed to her sitting in the middle seat, feeling the comfortable weight of her head on his shoulder. His hand held lightly onto hers, his fingers drawing light lines against her skin. He had been starved for contact like this, and hadn't realized it until the last few days. It wasn't something he wanted to give up.

As the dome came into view he pulled Allison to a stop, sighing quietly. He could tell she wasn't looking forward to this either. Before he could say anything, she spoke, voicing his concern.
"Yeah, I'm already expecting him to be. Trust me, it won't be anything I can't handle." he said with a little smile. He was sure that there was going to be violence, and he knew better than to raise a hand against her father.
He listened as she spoke, listing off everything that did and didn't happen during the trip. He could agree with most of it, the less her father knew the better. However, when she stumbled on her words and quickly corrected herself, he raised an eyebrow.

She almost said 'love'.

He wasn't sure if that was the proper word for what he felt, but it was damn close. He watched her for a moment, slipping his arm around her shoulders as she curled up into a ball.
"We'll get out of this just fine, I promise." he said with a small smile. He leaned in and placed a small kiss on her forehead, before resting his head on hers. "No matter what happens to me, promise me you won't try to stop it, okay?" he asked with a little smile. He knew that if they were met with violence, there was a damn good chance that she'd try and rush in to stop them. If he was lucky, all he had to worry about was catching a beating.
"You mean a lot to me, Carly. Don't ever forget that."

 

[FaithWynters]

A slow sigh escaped from her lips. For the past three days, Carly had been awaiting this conversation. She had been waiting for him to tell her to not try and stop whatever her father had done. There was this hope that he would understand that there was no chance in that happening. She cared too much. She flexed her jaw for a moment. As much as the young woman had been waiting for the conversation, no attempts had been made to find some cunning way to convince him that it wasn’t what she should do. Because there was no compromise. There was only one person in all of Genesis who could stand between him and the King of Genesis. It was her. As much as he tried to put up a front and tried to say that he could handle whatever Abraham Kemsley threw at him, she knew that wasn’t the case.

“I won’t make a promise that we both know I’m not going to keep.” She peered at him over her knees. She had finally, after three days, been able to quiet the flutters of her heart and keep flush cheeks at bay. His head still pressed against hers. “We'll watch each other's backs, okay? From here on out, we're partners.” Holding up her fingers, Carly made air quotes. She hoped the words sounded familiar because they were his. “We'll both watch out for each other when we get back to the dome. Deal?” She didn’t know where the brilliance had come from. A smile made her eyes squint a little bit. Dropping her feet into the floorboard, and picking her head up a little more, Carly leaned her face so they were only a few inches apart, their foreheads still touching. Checkmate. “I didn’t think Scavvers broke deals, Eli?” Her voice mocked innocence, her lower lip poking out into a small pout for a moment.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli's little smile faltered slightly when she said she wasn't going to promise, though he knew from the start that she wouldn't. He knew that she would fight back, no matter what ended up happening to him. He could protect her out here, but none of his skills would help him in the dome. He sighed softly, nodding.
"Partners." he agreed with a little smile. He certainly recognized the words, and he couldn't help but feel his chest tighten. She was turning it around on him, and he knew there was no way he could fight that.

As she shifted, he realized that he'd fallen right into her trap. Her playing innocent didn't fool him for a moment, nor was it meant to. He laughed softly, sighing quietly. "You're right, we don't break deals." he said with a little inflection in his voice, smirking slightly. She had traveled the wastes, scavenged old-world items, and killed a raider warlord. She was as much a Scavver as he was.
He leaned in, closing the small distance between them as he brought his lips to hers. It would likely be the last kiss he could get, so he was going to make it count. After all, he had to seal the deal somehow, right?

After several long moments he pulled away, but just enough to break contact with her. "I can agree to that. We'll watch each other's backs, and everything will be perfectly fine." he said with a little smile. Now, he couldn't guarantee that everything would be fine, but he felt safe with her watching his back. He paused for a moment, about to say something else as his eyes locked with hers, but he thought better of it. Now wasn't the time, as much as it felt like it.

He put the truck back in gear and started pulling forward, reaching over to scoot her right up against him. He would enjoy being close to her for as long as he possibly could.

The rest of the trip went by way too quickly for his liking. By the time the made it to the open garage door, he had resigned himself to the fact that she had moved over to the passenger seat. They pulled in and started driving through the tunnel leading to his garage, he reached over and gave her hand one light squeeze. "Partners." he said one last time, looking over at her with a smile.
He let go of her hand and slowed down, nearing the end of the tunnel.

He had been fully expecting Abraham to know what happened. Though, there was a part of him that wondered if there would be some way to sneak her back in as if nothing happened. That option was out of the question, however, when he saw a full squad of armed security with their guns trained on the vehicle. He hardly had the time to pull it to a stop before they all started yelling at him to get out of the truck, and he wasn't able to get a word in edgewise before they threw the door open and yanked him from the driver's seat.

He did nothing to fight back, even as one of the men kicked his knees out from under him, leaving him wide open as another brought his rifle down to smash him in the face. He let out a low growl as his head snapped back, but he didn't so much as curse the men that had crowded him to take turns beating on him.

 

[FaithWynters]

The movement had been enough. Not only had she somehow come out of the conversation without any additional lip from Eli, but Carly had been able to procure something else she had wanted. No matter how many times he said it, she still smiled every time Eli called her a Scavver. She certainly wouldn’t say she was anywhere near as experienced as he was, but she could take it as a checkmark on her list of experiences. It meant a lot, and when he leaned in, she certainly didn’t pull away. Instead, she just got lost in the feeling. This could very well be the last time that Carly would ever get to feel his lips on hers. She was going to let it last as long as possible. Finally, he pulled away. Everything would be perfectly fine. Carly had to keep telling herself that. A quiet squeal escaped her, followed by a giggle, as he reached around her and pulled her closer. For the moment, she just pressed her face into his arm, enjoying their final minutes alone together.

Damn it! Why couldn’t she just know that things were going to be alright? That was what made everything so agonizing. In the silence, as they rode toward the dome, Carly had this quiet inkling in the back of her mind to tell him to stop. She wanted him to turn the car around and never look back here, but she didn’t. Something stopped her. Unhappy eyes only looked ahead as their time together lessened as the size of the dome increased in their view. She held out as long as she could, drawing mindless designs on the back of his hand as he drove, but with the garage door in view, she knew it was time to detach herself from him lest she raised a few too many eyebrows when they arrived.

“Partners.” She uttered the word quietly as the view ahead of them registered in her mind. They were waiting for them. The feeling sent a chill through her and a rush of anger all the same. Carly had bent at the waist with her head between her legs before Eli had even gotten fully to a stop. She knew very well what was happening, and she kind of just acted. Blindly, hands scrambled for the feeling of metal beneath fingertips. She heard the shouting, the sound of the door being thrown open. It was in that moment that she gripped the barrel of the 12 gauge below the seat. It was still loaded and ready to go from before.

None of the men had run around to her side of the truck. She counted at least three solid hits before she threw her door open and walked quickly around the front of Allison.

“Hey! Hey!” She shouted as loud as her voice would allow. The group was shouting insults at poor Eli on the ground. It wasn’t until they heard the distinctive pump from behind them that the sound stifled itself into silence and the solid smacking noises stopped. Heads picked up and bodies turned. They all stared at the woman as if she were a ghost. They must have thought that he came back alone and that she was dead. She couldn’t lose her nerve. “Unless any of you want to lose your fucking heads, I suggest you get the fuck away from him.” There was another stretch of silence where none of them moved.

“Miss. Kemsley?” She had seen the one that spoke before. He one of the higher ranking team members that still stood watch in hallways and stairwells. He had been posted quite a few times outside of her door and had successfully thwarted many attempts she had made to sneak out in the middle of the night. In all honesty, most of the men didn’t think it was her at first. Bruises still held dark reminders of her past beating, she wore a jacket that wasn’t hers, she spoke like they had never heard her speak before, and she was pointing a very dangerous weapon at them. Shocked was an understatement.

“Eli, get up.” The order came out with a strength she hadn’t ever felt in Genesis before.

“Miss. Kemsley. Put the weapon down. Your father—he—“

“How about you listen to the woman with the gun, huh?” There were few in the ranks that looked at her as if she were an easy target, but none of them moved. “We’re here to see my father.” She pulled the weapon away from her shoulder and rested it on her hip. “Take us to him.”

 

[Gobbo]

Every strike was pushing Eli closer to passing out, stars swimming in his vision. Still, he didn't fight back. He knew better. It wasn't until he heard the racking of the shotgun and the beating stopped was he able to stop and catch his breath. "Carly, don't." he muttered past a mouthful of blood, his voice weak. He knew that she was digging a huge hole for herself, and there was no doubt that her father would blame him for how much she had changed. She left Genesis a princess, but she certainly didn't return as such.

The two armed guards that were beating him the most ferociously were obviously debating on tackling her and taking away the gun, but they also knew that laying a hand on her would likely cause them to disappear. It wasn't something they wanted to have to deal with, and it certainly wasn't worth losing their lives over, so they simply heeded her request. The two of them grabbed Eli roughly by the arms and yanked him to his feet.
"Get moving, filthy Scav." one of them growled, yanking him towards the door. Eli, once again, didn't fight back.

The trudge up to her father's office was an awkward one. The guards, unsure of whether or not to try and take the firearm from her, just kept on walking and occasionally glancing back at her to make sure her trigger finger didn't get itchy. It felt like an eternity, but finally they came to a stop in front of the huge double doors to Abraham's office. The lead guard opened the doors, and the two guards carrying Eli threw him inside, chuckling to each other as the Scavver collapsed to the floor, coughing and spitting blood on the pristine wooden floors beneath him.

 

[FaithWynters]

They knew the rules. Oh did they know the rules, and it burned to watch her just order them around. What burned more than anything was that she knew the rules, and she played them all with her words. Her mouth was dry, but for as long as she could stand it, she didn’t look at Eli. She worried which emotion would overtake her if she saw him. So she instead focused on the game, eyes cutting daggers as the group of men in front of her picked him up and began carrying him along. He wasn’t in good enough shape to walk; that alone made her want to vomit.

As they passed, she couldn’t help the glimpse of him that she caught. His eyes were closed, blood dribbling from slightly agape lips. It broke her. Her grip tightened on the weapon as she stood behind them for a moment. She didn’t know what she was anymore. The wall was up—the tearing of her heart no longer showed on her face or in her hands. It wasn’t because of anything she learned out in the wastes that made her this way. It was Genesis. She felt foreign in her own skin to revert back to what Genesis had made her—even with the gun in her hand and the threats spewing from her lips like venom. For once, it made her thankful. If she broke down right now, she couldn’t keep Eli as safe as she had so far….Not dead. That was the goal.

A quick dash into Allison, she yanked the keys out, stuffing them into her jeans pocket. It was a last-second attempt at keeping her from disappearing once they had gone inside. She followed behind the men silently, making sure that they didn’t do anything more than help Eli up to her father’s office. Then men were tempted, but each time one turned to make sure she was still following, she shot them a glare that made them turn again.

She wanted to help him. As they made their way to her father, she caught small dribbles of blood on the ground as she followed. It killed her. He didn’t deserve this—even what had already happened. She could feel it, the welling in her chest that made her regret not telling him to turn around and take her to find a new home. He never should have come back, but he had...for her.

The first thing she saw when she walked in behind the men was her father standing behind his desk. He hadn’t changed one bit. With his reading glasses on, it seemed he had been in the middle of signing a few documents. His eyes were locked on Eli and his jaw was set. He hadn’t seen Carly behind the bulk of the two others. There was so much rage, she felt her stomach curl. She wasn’t ready for this, but she had to be. The sound of him hitting the ground made shockwaves in her ears. She just wanted to take the gun and break one of their jaws with it as the two men laughed quietly to themselves.

“Leave us.” She saw her father’s face change at the sound. It was almost as if he didn’t believe it at first and his eyes scanned the room until they locked on her. She could see him take in every part of her feature. The bruises, the glare, the gun…It took him only a few seconds before the rage dissipated off of his face.

“Miss. Kemsley…We can’t leave you here with that weapon and your Father.” They acted like Eli wasn’t bleeding on the ground. “It’s a matter of security ma—“ Before the first could finish the sentence, she had thrown it at him. He caught it out of instinct, his eyes setting again. She had no need for it anymore—and if she needed a gun she still had the one tucked in her waistband.

“Now get out.” Her father was speechless through the interaction, watching her handle the men with such a ferocity was certainly not his daughter. The two men did as they were told only after they looked to Abraham and he nodded.

“Carls?” His voice was one of uncertainty, and Abraham could hardly believe what he was seeing. Carly smiled at her father, just a soft smile, walking quietly over to Eli. Abraham watched the bleeding man silently as his daughter knelt down and tried to help him up to his feet. It was the charity in her—he told himself that at least. Pushing around the desk, he cleared most of the distance quickly. By the time he had made it a few steps away, he had regained his composure.

“Leave the Scavver, Carly.” He just wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her—he had to know this wasn’t some sick joke his mind had conjured up for him. Instead, she hung onto the damned filth, walking him to a nearby couch, and sitting him down. Carly wouldn’t leave Eli on the ground. She heard the solid soles of his shoes striking the hardwood behind her. They came to a stop just a few feet behind her as she tried to ease Eli’s body down. She struggled the whole walk; he was a lot more muscle than he looked. When she finally got him sat down, Carly turned. She couldn’t ignore her father anymore—she could tell it was torturing him.

“Hey, Dad…” She spoke after a short pause; it was the first time that her voice had cracked in the whole situation, and before she could stop him, he had pulled her into a hug.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli didn't fight as Carly came over to him to help him up, trying his hardest to handle his own weight so she wouldn't collapse under him. For as tough as she'd become, a week's worth of running around the desert wasn't going to make it easy for her to lift him. His head swam and he stumbled slightly, holding onto her as they shuffled over to the couch. He sat down with a heavy sigh, catching his breath from the short walk. He couldn't help but stare at Abraham, his eyes narrowing. At least he had one small win, and that was that Carly saw the flash of hatred on her father's face at the sight of him. He couldn't help but smirk slightly as he watched the two of them hug.

"Found your daughter, boss. Thanks for the beating. Really deserved that one." he said sarcastically, holding back a cough. It broke through anyway, and he leaned over to spit some blood on the couch. He wasn't happy, that much was obvious, but there was a small smirk on his face that he just couldn't get rid of. Maybe Carly would realize that her father wasn't some sort of role model. Telling her about the horrible things he'd done was one thing, but he knew that there was a part of her that wouldn't believe a word of it without proof.

"Anyway, how've you been? I'm sure you've been worried -sick- about her. Right? That's why you were just sitting there, looking over paperwork? Right?"

 

[FaithWynters]

She wasn’t liking this. There was this strange mix of new and old in this room that did nothing more than confuse her. She took in a deep breath of her father’s scent. He had worn the same cologne for the past ten years. It was familiar and made her smile.

Abraham didn’t let go for a long time. His daughter was back with him. She looked relatively uninjured for a trip out in the wastes. She wasn’t dead. Thank God she wasn’t dead. If Abraham Kemsley cried, this would have been one of only two moments in his life where he would have, but instead, he just listened to her breathing and let the feeling sink in. His daughter was back. His Carls was safe again.

The damned Scavver had to ruin it by being there. Eli’s words sent a fire through his belly, but Abraham would not give him the satisfaction of seeing it. He pulled silently away from his daughter. Oh, he had many questions, but this Scav had never known his place here. He remembered how the ingrate had plucked food from the platter Carly had brought him the day she disappeared. The way he always strolled in like he was some hot shit. He was just another piece of trash under Abraham’s boot.

“Eli…” Carly let out a quiet warning. This was not what they had discussed in the Humvee. She would take the brunt of this. He was already…Her jaw tightened and she had to look away from the two. He was already bleeding and could hardly carry himself. In a way, Carly knew she had failed, but he wasn’t dead. It kept running through her head. He wasn’t dead. Just keep him alive. That’s the goal.

“I’ll have you know—Scavver—“The rage was back, in full force—Ice cold and ready to slice his throat at any wrong move. “I was signing the paperwork for her memorial.” Kemsley had never in his life wanted more to break someone’s nose than he wanted to Eli at this moment, but he refrained. He had men for that, and whatever incinerator he found himself in soon wouldn’t be as hot as his place in hell.

“Dad…” With every passing moment, the pain that broke through in her voice seemed to deepen. He thought she was dead? The idea sent a chill through her. She could see him inching closer and closer to a line she herself had never seen him cross. Her word was a warning—just like Eli’s had been—to not say anything he would regret. Abraham Kemsley certainly didn’t listen to his daughter.

“Quiet Carly or go outside.” The order was much softer than the tone he took with Eli, but the strength that told her he wasn’t going to ask again was all there. It was natural, she closed her lips, and tilted her head toward the ground. It was training. Like a dog, she did what she was told.

Abraham leaned down further to get make better eye contact with the rat who spit all over the place. “You have some nerve coming back here.” If Eli wanted to throw punches, then Abraham could too. Watch him get all upset—see what he would do. If he landed a hit on Abraham, even Carly wouldn’t be able to protect him from the incinerators. “I will give you that. Got a pair of brass balls bringing her back here after all of this. What’d you do to her?” He paused for only a moment, readying himself for what he was about to say. “You beat her that much is obvious. Where’s her shirt?” His voice was growing louder. “I bet it gets you off, doesn’t it? Taking a poor innocent little girl out into the desert where she has to depend on her kidnapper.” The push was doing just as much to push him to his limit—it was something Abraham didn’t notice in the moment. “What did you do to my daughter, Scav?” He was shouting now, only about six inches in front of Eli. “When she told you no you choked her, didn’t you? Watched her lips turn blue until you were satisfied with the result—and with her, huh?” The words stuck a knife in his heart. If that was the case…There were places in this building where his life could be one long hell.

“Dad!” Abraham hadn’t notice Carly trying to get his attention until she pushed in the space between the two of them, forcing him to take a step back. Tears streamed down her cheeks. He had forgotten for a few moments that she had still been standing there. His jaw tightened.

“Carls…” He reached out to pull her towards him, his face etched in apology. He had ended up losing control for a moment in the only way Abraham did. His daughter pushed his hands away like a frightened child.

Carly had never seen him like that. His jaw set, it was like his face had been etched into stone, and he said some of the most horrible things she’d ever heard anyone say…And it was about her. It made her want to vomit, and when she finally got the courage to step in between them, she was so lost she didn’t notice the tears or the fact that her body was shaking. His words had brought one too many memories creeping back to the surface, but she stood strong—like she promised Eli she would do.

“Why would you say that?!” She was screaming back at him—through the tears and the tremors, her rage was much greater. The door to the office opened and one of the security guards from before stepped in, closed the door behind him, and stood there, waiting for the need to step in. “He’s the only reason I came back at all!” Abraham just stared at her—he was certain she had never been this upset before. “Eli killed men to make sure that I got back to you safely, and that’s what you say?!” Eli was no angel either—Carly would have her own talk with him later.

“I snuck into his truck, dad…” No longer was she shouting; her voice was a defeated whine as she tried to calm down. “I snuck out of Genesis.” This was not how this was supposed to go. She watched as her father’s face fell again. It wasn’t incredibly obvious—just in the downturn of some of his features that she saw it. It was almost like it took him longer to put all the pieces together. “Please don’t say those things…” Carly felt her knees buckle beneath her and she slid to the floor, legs pushed out on either side of her, her arms pressed into her side tightly as she tried to calm herself. There would be no Eli to calm her this time. Even though he was right there, she knew he might as well have been a million miles away with her father standing there. So, she took deep breaths, her eyes pressed closed, still fighting the shaking of her body. This wasn’t supposed to be about her. She needed to stop this. The three of them needed to talk.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli couldn't help but snipe at the man who'd messed her up so horribly. Sheltering her from the outside world, thinking that keeping her locked away in their tower was how to show her that he cared. He smirked slightly, seeing his words cut right into the man's ego. Though, as Abraham started talking, Eli's smirk faded, before vanishing completely. The things he was accusing him of set his blood on fire, his fingers itching for the knife on his belt.

Abraham was implying that... Eli's jaw set, his eyes narrowing as his hand crept towards the knife's hilt. Before he could draw the blade, or even scream at him about how wrong he was, Carly was in between them screaming right back at her father.

Eli was shaking, not only because of the accusations... but because he could tell Carly couldn't take this. She was fighting a losing battle, and there was nothing he could do to help her. He couldn't scoop her up and hold her, he couldn't whisper soft words to her to calm her down... And that only enraged him further.

"Listen up, motherfucker. You want to know what I did out there?" he asked, getting shakily to his feet. He stumbled, before standing strong and staring her father in the eyes. "She snuck onto my truck. I didn't realize it until I was one hundred and fifty miles from here. By the time I realized it, I was in the middle of a road battle with raiders." he said, keeping his rage hidden as best he could. He couldn't let Carly see that side of him.

"She got to see the sky. She got to see the stars. I protected her with my life, because I know that she's all you've got. If you think I would do anything like that, I want you to know that you're a sicker man than I could ever be. I did the best I fucking could, and it wasn't enough. She still got hurt, and I feel like shit because of it. I did the right thing. I kept her safe, only to get the shit kicked out of me and be blamed for something I would never consider doing. And if you think I'm going to stop protecting her just because she's back her, you're wrong."

For all of his talking, and the fight he had to keep himself calm enough not to attack him, his hand had made it to the hilt of his knife. He hadn't drawn it, but it was obvious that he was fighting to keep it in its sheath.
"I'm not expecting a 'thank you'. I know I'm not gonna get it from a man like you. I just want it to be perfectly clear that I- or any Scavver, for that matter- would ever think of doing sick shit like that. We're just trying to survive, even if that includes being shit on by fucking people like you. She's right. I killed people to make sure she stayed safe. You'd best believe that I'm gonna keep doing it too."

 

[FaithWynters]

Abraham’s eyes were locked on the mess that his daughter was on the floor. She rocked back and forth on the ground, her breathing deeper than it should have been, her eyes dead-set in front of her. He knew what she was trying to do—trying to flick the switch. They both had them. When you were put in the position of power and wealth, you had to have one to keep guarded. Her mind was having a hard time of it, though, as she battled with something behind those eyes. Something had happened, and Abraham had to know what it was. Still, he watched her as Eli spoke—shouted at him more like. He could tell that the Scavver was being honest, and it burned him. Abraham’s eyes broke from Carly for a moment as Eli finished. There was no way in hell he would show his thanks to him—not yet at least. It was sad though, the Scavver thought that after all of this was over and done with he would still be allowed to see his daughter. That he would still be able to protect her from unknown dangers of the dome. They didn’t exist in the dome—he made sure of that. The worst Carly had to worry about any more were the monsters under her bed.

His hands, which had tightened into fists by his side loosened. Now wasn’t the time for this. They could get information out of this filth later if he cared to. He had lost this one—although he would never admit that. The rage that coursed through him had slipped past the usually refined, cool, and collected mask and turned the tables on him in an unexpected way. It had faded away now for concern. This was ridiculous! Abraham didn’t have time to waste on this trash who he was certain would be out of his hair soon. His baby girl came first. The man standing before him with his hand resting threateningly on his belt did not make him afraid. He saw the shift of the guard by the door as he got closer—just in case. A grumble of “Cool it, Scavver” was the only thing that came from the corner. His men were great at assessing situations, and Abraham knew that he would step in if the need arose.

“Carly…” The man knelt down in front of her. Eli was right; his daughter was the only thing that he had left. His little girl mattered more than anything else, and she was in distress. “It’s alright. You’re home now.” He reached out to grab her arm. “You’re safe again.” Her body still shook as she fought the images in her head. If they were alone, this interaction would certainly be different, but Abraham couldn’t let the Scavver see him in that capacity. Even with his daughter like this on the floor, he still couldn’t. For his sake, he couldn’t cross that line again.

The words were eerily similar to some that Carly had heard not too long ago. They bounced around in her head for a moment but didn’t really have the same effect as when Eli said them. Besides, her father meant the words in a different way. She knew he meant that safety was in the dome, not in the wastes. Safety was not having to face the horrible things that were supposedly out there. She was safe from the hardship and the monstrosities he had been trying to protect her from for years. What she knew he could never understand was that the last three days was the safest she had felt in years. She didn’t bother trying to explain that to him. He wouldn’t understand. Her father would think she lost her mind.

“I’m fine.” She obviously wasn’t, but with her heart beating in her ears she wanted them to stop fighting. Using her palms, Carly wiped the streaks of tears off of her face. Really, she needed to stop doing this. Carly hated being the burden that she was. That’s all she had ever been to anyone. For her father, for Eli, for the assistants and the tutors. There wasn’t a single person that she had met that she hadn’t had to depend on for one thing or another. It was a knife in her belly; she was just the pitiful, fragile doll that everyone had to protect. Even when she tried to protect herself and to protect others, she broke—like right now—and was once again useless.

“You—let me take care of you, Carly.” Wrapping his arms around her again, Abraham helped her to her feet. Shaking hands gripped on his button-up shirt as she slowly hauled herself to her feet. “You need to see a doctor.” As soon as possible, the young woman released her father’s shirt and she watched him. Strong hands remained on her arms to steady her—even though there was no need. Carly just wanted to be out of this office. She wanted to be back in the sweltering truck with Eli. She was sick of this. Sick of being useless. Sick of being a burden. She was sick of being downplayed like a child. She was a fucking adult. Someone besides Eli needed to start treating her like it.

Finally, he saw the switch. With one deep breath, her face set. Her eyes, still glossy from the tears, watched him for a moment. It killed him that he didn’t know how to help his own daughter. He could provide so much for her, but this had always been where his Michelle had shined. She straightened up, turning back for only a moment to shoot the Scavver a look that he himself couldn’t translate.

“We both need a doctor.” Carly knew that if she didn’t include herself, there was a likelihood that her father wouldn’t call for the nice doctor they kept on staff for just Eli. There was nothing that a doctor would be able to do for her. The cosmetic problems that he saw on the surface and the breakdown she had just had… No doctor could fix that. In the glance she had cast back to him, she was doing nothing more than checking to see how injured he was. He had just let it happen. He didn’t fight back—he couldn’t. One wrong move and his brains would have been splattered on the concrete of the garage. No. That wasn’t going to happen.

Eyes bore holes into him. Carly expected her father to argue with her—that he wouldn’t pay for a Scavver to get patched up or that Eli had his own doctors. It wasn’t the first time that she had seen the look in his eye as he was debating to tell his daughter no about something. The decision-making process shone above all else through the silence.

“Carly, honey—“ It was a term he only used when he was about to say no to her, but the young woman was ready. If he wanted to make things right, oh then he was going to make things right—for the both of them.

“You just had a group of men beat the shit out of him—when he was bringing me back. Dad… He brought me back.” Each word was enunciated for effect. Why that fact wasn’t sinking in, Carly wasn’t certain. “We both need a good meal, a hot shower, and a doctor.” They were hefty demands, but she didn’t care. If her father wanted to make amends—at least with her—he had to do what she was asking.

Dark brown eyes cut through her father’s. The gears were spinning at her demands and in a split second, all the worry was gone from his face; Abraham Kemsley was back and her father was gone. This wasn’t the time to break eye contact, Besides, there was no way that she could take another glance at Eli; she was hardly keeping it together as it was. On the outside, she looked strong and determined, and ready. Her insides were just a mashup of nerves and pain.

It was the first time that Abraham thought that he might be being too lenient with the girl. Soft words weren’t working with her anymore. This was not his daughter…Well, it was. She had obviously learned some things from him about body language and diplomacy—and had finally managed the confidence to use it. In any other situation, he would have been proud of his daughter, but this time it just put a bitter taste in his mouth. It was over a fucking Scavcer that she grew a backbone. His eyes shifted only for a moment to size up the Scav behind her. No. There was no way in hell he would allow that.

“No, Carly.” The words were simple and decidedly short. Abraham was well aware that she knew what he was saying no to. The only issue was that he hadn’t expected such a heartless trump card. Further proof that she was a Kemsley.

“Mom would welcome him with open arms.”

Carly could feel the silence ringing in her ears as the words soaked into the walls. Although the two were arguing about him, Eli was forgotten by both of them at that moment. Abraham was shocked, and somehow, Carly had managed to look unphased by her own words. It hurt, but without the fear of death nipping at her every word, she could be stone cold. It was the last thing she could use to change his mind, and if it hadn’t been the truth, it would have never worked.

Carly’s mother was much different than her father. It was such a contrast that people oftentimes wondered how they had ended up falling in love in the first place. Where Abraham was cold, she was warm. Michelle had a way of lightening the weight on Abraham’s shoulders with a smile and a few words. In her youth, she had taught Carly how to be kind and understanding to people and their problems. She taught Carly what hard work meant and how one could use their fortunes to help the misfortunate. Of course, her mother didn’t have to work, but instead she focused her efforts in pinpointing areas of the city that Abraham could help her improve as side projects. And Carly was right, she would have opened the doors for Eli with a smile. It didn’t matter who he was—he had saved their daughter.

Carly watched as her father’s jaw got progressively tighter. She knew it had to be some out of anger—it was a cheap shot, she wouldn’t deny that—but also some out of sadness. They really didn’t talk about her mother, and she knew that Abraham was playing the situation over in his mind, but this time, involving Michelle. After a few moments he sighed—obviously defeated.

“I’ll have Andrea call the physician from downstairs.” There wasn’t defeat in his voice. It was as if they had just made a business deal and Abraham was outlining the next steps to finalize a contract. Turning, he didn’t say another word. He just walked toward the door. The guard stood in position still, ready for any more aggressive moves. Carly didn’t wait for the door to close before she turned and cleared the few feet to the couch. She sat down silently, rested her elbows on her knees, and her head in her hands.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli had been expecting some sort of rebuttal to his words, or something more than a grumbled warning as his hand tightened on his knife. He expected Abraham to keep spitting venom at him, despite the fact that his daughter had collapsed to the floor. When he saw the man's face relax, his hands loosening, Eli couldn't help but wonder for a moment if he'd won. There was no way to 'win' against a man like Abraham Kemsley, but if he was able to get the last word in he would consider it a victory.

He had protected Carly with his life, and had sustained quite a few injuries doing it. He knew without a doubt he would do it again, no hesitation in his mind. She was vastly important to him, despite the short time they spent together. The wastes had a way of bringing people together, if they were meant to... He was a firm believer of that.

As Abraham's attention was turned away from him to Carly, Eli's hand loosened on his weapon. He was slow and deliberate in his movements, wanting to make sure that the security team behind him knew he was backing off. He didn't want to make any sudden movements, he knew he was at a disadvantage here. If he was quick, he would catch a bullet. There was no doubt about that.
He stayed silent as the father and his daughter spoke, knowing that he was well out of his league just by standing there.

Eli knew how to fight with weapons, not with words. There was a battle going on between the two of them, he could see that much... But he couldn't tell how serious it really was. He knew that Carly was fighting tooth and nail to make sure Eli got the help he needed, and he knew for a fact that Abraham would never allow it.
The Scavver knew he would much rather patch himself up than visit the 'doctor' that was assigned to the scavengers. Doctor was a horrible name for them, 'sadist' would fit much better. He had made the mistake once of going to get stitched up, and the doctor 'accidentally' made a few new holes with his scalpel before getting around to stitching up any of them. Eli was about to speak up and tell her it wasn't necessary, but just as he was going to say something she mentioned her mother.

The silence that followed could have deafened him.

He kept his mouth shut, just watching her father's face go through a myriad of emotions before the man finally spoke and left without another word. Eli let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding, turning to face Carly as she moved to the couch and slumped down. He wanted to tell her thank you, to tell her that he was proud of her for standing up to her father like that... But he couldn't say anything with the security still standing there. After all, nothing happened between them out in the wastes. Nothing that her father could know about, at least.

Eli was about to move over and sit next to her, when the sound of hurried, heavy bootsteps could be heard coming from the hallway. Eli hardly had enough time to turn and see who it was before the door opened, and someone he didn't recognize came in.
He was tall, but not quite as tall as Eli. His dark brown hair was cut short and neat, his bright blue eyes focused on the bleeding Scavver. He paused, standing next to the guards, glancing at them for a brief moment. That was all he had to do to get them to turn and leave the room.
"You must be Elias." he said, an icy chill in his voice. Eli recognized the tone in his voice and the look in his eyes instantly. He was after blood.

Daniel waited for the security to leave before walking over to the beaten Scavver. He was quick, quicker than Eli could react to in that moment. His hand came forward, and there was a flash of silver before Eli let out a startled scream of pain as the blade was suddenly jammed into his stomach.
"You fucking bastard! What did you do to Carly?" Daniel yelled, repeatedly stabbing Eli in the gut, knocking the Scavver to the ground. In his haste, he hadn't even noticed the girl sitting on the couch not six feet away.

 

[FaithWynters]

Everything was a muddied mess. Carly sat there with her head in her hands in silence. Even if Eli had the courage to sit next to her and tell her it was going to be alright, there was no promise he would have gotten a response. She was certain Eli didn’t realize what she had just done, she had never done before. It was a feat. The young woman had never had the courage to stand up to her father. Before now, no had meant no. Never had something in her life given her enough drive and want to fight with the King. It had taken everything her mind had just to keep from breaking down under his cold stare. Not just that, but she had never brought up her mother in that capacity, and it had done just as much to rip her heart out as it did her father’s. So she just needed a moment with the silence. Just a moment.

Carly was lost in the nothingness. The door opening didn’t pull her from her mind as she drifted. Things had gone a lot worse than she had anticipated. Honestly, she was reaching her limit for the day. Anything more and she might break.

Eli’s scream shattered her quiet little mind fortress. Her head shot up, and for a split second, Carly thought that her mind was playing tricks on her. When Eli fell, and she saw the flash of the blade in Daniel’s hand, she shot up.

“Daniel, No!” Her voice was shrill. She was crumbling. The distance was quick to clear. “Stop!” Jesus Christ could she not have five minutes where tears didn’t well up over something today? Daniel had gotten on his knees and in his rage, he had dug into Eli more than a few times. At the sound of her voice, Daniel turned his head just in time to catch Carly’s balled up fist to his right eye. It had been an instinctual reaction, and he let out a grunt of surprise. ”Stop!” The word escaped again, her voice hoarse as she slid to her knees, pulling her body over Eli’s abdomen in any attempt she could to protect him.

“Nonononono” The words rushed together as panic set in. “Eli I’m sorry.” Her mind wasn’t ready for this. Over and over she apologized, her breathing picking up again. She lifted up just slightly to press her hands to the place where red blossoms bloomed on his shirt. Just like he had shown her in the wastes. Hard she pressed, the metal scent wafting through the air. For some reason, the smell infuriated her.

“What the fuck, Daniel?!” She didn’t even look up. “It’s gonna be okay.” It wasn’t clear if she was telling Eli that or herself. This was like a bad dream that wouldn’t stop. She just wanted this to stop.

 

[Gobbo]

Daniel, so blinded in his rage, hadn't noticed Carly until she suddenly shrieked his name. He stopped, blade wound back and ready to gouge Eli again, though it never had the chance. The punch was something he wasn't expecting, and it toppled him off of the Scavver and back a few feet. The knife came out of his hand and clattered on the wooden floor, forgotten.
"Carly?" he asked. He was told that the Scavver had come back alone. That Carly wasn't there. He made a mental note to have a word with the guard that had told him that inaccurate information.

He watched as she jumped to Eli's side, putting pressure on the stab wounds. What the hell was she doing? And what the hell was she wearing? He couldn't care less about the bleeding Scavver on the floor, but it certainly looked like she did.

Eli's breath was shallow, pain flooding his senses as he laid on the floor. He had already been through too much with the beating he'd gotten, and now it just was made so much worse. He gasped for breath, trying to calm himself down and find the will to move. He couldn't quite find it.
"I'm... I'm okay, Carly..." Eli said weakly, squeezing his eyes shut. Her putting pressure on the wounds only sent fresh waves of agony through him, and he gritted his teeth to keep from letting out another yell.

"Carly, what the fuck?" Daniel mirrored her words. "Why are you trying to help a Scavver? He kidnapped you! You need to get away from him!" Daniel said. Seeing her fawn over an animal like Eli made him sick, and he moved to his knees, about to move to her side.
"He's an animal, Carls! He deserves this. You could have died out there!"

 

[FaithWynters]

“You’re not okay.” The words were shallow as she continued to apply pressure. He was bleeding in multiple places, so she just pressed down where she could. Where the hell was her father? Why had he not stopped Daniel from coming in here and being an idiot? “You’re gonna be okay, but you’re not okay right now. Just keep breathing, okay?” The words were soft as she reset her hands again. “I know it hurts, but I need to keep the bleeding down until the doctor gets here.” Was he dying? She watched his face contort with the pain. His breathing was shallow. What should she do? She prayed silently to some unknown God that he would be okay. After everything that had happened, Carly wouldn’t be able to take losing him now.

Daniel’s words sent another fire through her. Who did he think he was? He didn’t even know Eli! Oh, this was just the cherry on top! She couldn’t control her anger with him. He came into arms reach. A bloody hand was up in a flash, slapping him so hard that her hand stung when she pulled away. There was a fresh, bloody handprint across his clean-shaven skin.

“I. RAN. AWAY. DANIEL.” She was shouting again, but she kept her attention on Eli. Pushing his shirt up, her hands anchored back on the wounds she could now see. “Did no one in this place know I was miserable?” Tears were falling freely now. Down her cheeks and dribbling off of her chin and onto Eli below. Now wasn’t the time, but she was so exhausted that she couldn’t stop it anymore. “Go find the doctor and get her here. Now, Daniel. Fix what you did.” It wasn’t a request. Her hands were shaking, and she knew that it was probably just causing Eli more pain, but she couldn’t stop it.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli tried to listen and keep breathing, but after everything he'd already been through he was weak to begin with. Getting stabbed like that was just the perfect way to end the day. He kept watching her, his eyes fixated on her as he kept breathing as deep as he possibly could. It didn't feel like Daniel had hit anything vital, but then again his entire torso was on fire. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what had gotten punctured.

Daniel reeled from the slap, his eyes going huge. She ran away? Why? She always seemed happy, or at least content... They had been friends for years, and she couldn't tell him how miserable she was here? His fingers moved to the stinging mark on his cheek, and when he pulled them away they were stained crimson. The Scavver's blood. Her reaction and fervent attempt to stop the bleeding was something new, a side of her he'd never seen before. She was always so demure, and now it was if there were two Scavvers in the room with him. Her barked order made him stand quickly, and with a quick nod he rushed out of the room, leaving the knife forgotten on the floor.

They were alone now, though this wasn't the kind of situation Eli wanted to find himself in. "Hey..." he said quietly. "You stood up to him, your dad... I'm proud." he muttered, before stifling a cough. His hand moved over on top of hers to help hold pressure on the wounds.
"I've been through worse. It's okay."

 

[FaithWynters]

Daniel left without a word. She hadn’t seen his face to know for sure, but from the hurried steps, his intent was to do as he was told. She knew he was surprised. Never had she raised her voice at him like that before and she certainly had never struck him. It seemed that everyone was starting to realize who Carly really had become. At the sound of the door closing behind him, the quietest of whimpers escaped from her lips. His quiet words made her open her eyes, looking back down to him. How could he bring that up right now? He was bleeding out on the floor of her father’s office. Abraham didn’t matter right now. There was another quiet whimper as his hand pressed against hers.

“We should never have come back…” The words escaped in a quiet gasp from her lips as she tried to unsuccessfully keep the tears from falling. “This is all my fault.” She said the words—more to herself than to Eli. There was a quiet sniffle as she watched him try to keep his breathing steady. She prayed that the doctor would be here soon. Even if it was the end of their time alone, at least he would be getting helped.

“I can’t watch them treat you like this anymore, Eli.” Now probably wasn’t the best time for this, but as she rolled the image she had seen of her return over in her mind, she realized that her imagination had taken some liberties that it shouldn’t have. She wasn’t mentally prepared to see him go through this. When she made jokes about coming back to an angry father, she didn’t think about all of this being the result.

“I can’t go back to this life here without you.” Her mind was gone; jumping back and forth between multiple conversations she was having with herself all at the same time. “Please don’t die.” She was begging at this point. Eli telling her that he had worse wasn’t helping her mind flush the idea that he was dying out. To her, it wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. Not what security had done. Not what her father had said. Not what Daniel had done. Nothing about this situation was okay, and for some reason, he stuck around when the shouting had ended.

“As soon as you’re better you have to go.” She was a walking bag of contradictions, all torn in different directions at once. “Stupid” She squinted her eyes closed. She was one more bad thing happening away from a complete mental breakdown. “I’m sorry, Eli.” After all of this, she would never be able to do anything but apologize to him. “You didn’t ask for this.” She was on the verge of hyperventilating. She had been yo-yoing back and forth from tears to a numbness for the past hour and she was trying to fight it off again. She didn’t know if she was capable of handling it anymore, but she tried for the man below her that was in much worse shape than she was. “Just wait for the doctor” She muttered the words to herself, over and over again, under her breath. Her eyes looked through her hands and him now as she tried to force her mind to cope with all the things that had happened.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli tried to keep his breathing steady, the searing pain beginning to dull. He had been shot, stabbed, hit by cars... This wasn't anything that he hadn't been through before. In fact, he was almost thankful. Daniel only aimed for non-vital areas. He would have some stitches and be bruised and sore for a while, but he already knew that he would be fine. The problem, however, was convincing Carly that he was going to be okay. He could tell just by her panicked words and frantic look in her eyes that she was on the razor's edge of a panic attack.

His hand gripped hers a little tighter as he looked at her, and as his mind cleard of pain his eyes were a little clearer. "Carly, deep breaths. I'm not going to die." he said calmly. "C'mon, I hunt down raiders on a regular basis. I won't let myself be killed by some clean-shaved kid." he said, a small laugh on his words. He coughed, wincing as a new wave of pain shot through him.
"Just look at me, okay? Please?" If he could get her to focus on him, and not the situation he was in, maybe he could pull her back from the brink.

"Plus, I'm not going anywhere until you finish teaching me how to read." he added. The pain was still blinding, but at least he still had a clear enough head to know that he wasn't on death's door.
He wanted to lean up and kiss her, to help pull her back, but even moving slightly was agonizing. Not that he would have had much of a chance, though, not when he heard hurried running heading towards the door.

The door to the office flew open, and Daniel came in. He was scrubbing at his cheek, trying to get the Scavver's blood off, and was followed closely by the doctor and two nurses with a gurney ready. Though Eli was glad that Daniel didn't just up and leave, he wanted to have more time alone with her.