A/N: Megan was a one-off character mentioned in the story Comic Books, who couldn't make it to the mall in the flashback.
Past
Tommy stumbled into the kitchen to see Megan sitting on the counter, knees to her chest, and her arms around her knees. She looked like she rolled around in some mud and let it dry on her. Her blonde hair looked like there was mud on it. She was wearing short shorts, a long sleeved shirt, and her sneakers were untied.
Megan looked on top of the fridge and took down a clear bag of Cherry Heads. "When did you get these?"
"My mom got them before we took her to the mental hospital. I couldn't bring myself to eat them because seeing them makes me sad," Tommy said. He did miss his mother, but he knew that she needed it.
"Can I eat your sadness?" Megan asked and proceeded to eat them anyway.
Tommy noticed a bruise on Megan's cheekbone. "Has your dad been drinking again?"
"No," Megan said.
Tommy knew better and he hugged her. Megan hugged him back, noticing how the hug was a little awkward due to her sitting down. "One day, the pain will be gone."
Megan nodded, "I know. I better go." She kissed Tommy's forehead and left the kitchen.
Tommy noticed that she had taken the candy with her. He went to the house phone and hesitated, feeling really sick to his stomach. He knew what was going on, but he couldn't bring himself to call the police. Did that make him a bad person?
He felt like a bad person. He grabbed a knife and looked at it, having an idea. He hoped that it would last.
Present
She saw 10K standing in the aisle of the store. She was really surprised to see that the guy was still alive, even after a year. There was a red-haired woman there with him now and the both of them were looking at something on the shelf.
She looked at her friend; it could've been a look-alike. She had to make sure and stepped next to the shelf. "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"
She noticed how her friend smiled before replying, "We used to dance all the time, but he broke up with me."
The red-haired woman looked confused and then looked at the two. Addy had a funny feeling that the two knew each other. She watched as 10K and the random blonde girl hugged each other.
"That's the answer I was looking for," the blonde girl said. Addy wasn't sure if it was her imagination because she saw some mud in her hair.
10K looked at Addy, "Addy this is my friend Megan. Megan this is Addy."
Megan smiled and stuck out her hand. Addy shook Megan's hand and gave a small smile in return. Megan dropped Addy's hand and lurked over 10K. She breathed heavily on his neck and waggled her eyebrows. "I feel like we bonded on a sub-molecular level."
10K looked at Megan, "congratulations." Megan smiled in victory.
"We have to go regroup," Addy said. "You can bring…Megan with us."
"We can shack up at my dad's place," Megan said.
Addy asked, "shack up?"
10K studied Megan's face; she looked tired, a little weak, and her eyes were a little bloodshot. He noticed the long-sleeved shirt and the camouflage pants. He spotted a bruise on Megan's collarbone, which she tried to cover up. He looked Megan in the eyes, "again?" It looked like he had a promise to uphold.
"Drop it," Megan replied.
Addy wasn't sure what was going on, but didn't want to ask. Whatever it was, it was a private matter that didn't involve her. She felt like she was in the dark. She said, "we have to get back."
"How's your mother doing?" Megan asked and Addy looked over her shoulder.
"Last I saw, she turned in a different direction three blocks behind us," 10K explained.
"She's still doing the circus thing?" Megan asked.
"Yeah," 10K replied.
10K took the book off of the shelf and looked at the title. "Why do you have…" he shuddered, "Twilight in your bookcase?"
"It's perfect to start fires with," Megan said.
10K put it back and saw Addy walking up to them. She looked at Megan, "where's your dad at?"
"He said he was going to hunt the Zs, but I'm sure he went to go hide out in another house or went to look for beer," Megan said. "I'm surprised the Zs haven't gotten to him yet."
"What a shame," 10K said.
Addy looked at 10K confused, "what?"
"It's a long story that we don't have time for," 10K repliedd.
Megan nodded, "I'm just worried about what my dad will say about having strangers in his house." 10K had a funny feeling what that really meant.
"Megan!" A man shouted and Megan ran outside.
10K had to refrain from running outside and making do with his promise. He told himself, not yet.
"Do you hate Megan's dad?" Addy asked, noticing the look of pure hatred on 10K's face. She wondered what did Mike due to make 10K hate him. Did Mike walk in on them having sex and threatened to hurt him for doing it with Megan?
"Yes," 10K replied.
Addy wasn't sure what to say, "you can tell me, did you sleep with her?" 10K looked at her with a 'what the fuck did you say' look.
10K deadpanned, "what?" He stated, "no."
Addy wasn't sure if that was reassuring. "It's okay to like her. She seems like a good girl. I mean she might like you back."
10K snorted, "I doubt that."
Addy replied, "hey. No need to be self-conscious."
10K realized where that was heading, "she's like a sister to me."
"Oh. I should tell Vasquez that," Addy said.
"Tell him what?" 10K replied.
"He and Murphy got into an argument over who you're going to sleep with. Vasquez was all for Megan sleeping with you. Murphy was all for me," Addy replied.
10K looked slightly amused, "what were they saying?"
"Vasquez was saying something like Megan is your age and it would be less weird," Addy said.
10K replied, "less weird?"
"He said less creepy and that since you two knew each other longer, it would be better sex," Addy replied.
10K seemed amused, "what did Murphy say?"
"Murphy said that since I'm a woman, I have more experience," Addy recounted, seeming to be more amused by it.
10K stared, "what did—"
"10K!" Warren called out.
10K and Addy went to find Warren. They found her in a 'guest room, as she was glaring at Murphy and Vasquez. 10K looked at Warren, "yes?"
"Do you have any rope, so I can tie Murphy up?" Warren asked and 10K searched his pockets.
He held some rope up, "why?"
Warren grabbed the rope, "it's because he said something that he shouldn't have said." Addy dragged 10K away from the guest room. 10K wondered, "I wonder what they said that offended her."
"Let's say that there are some things that should never be repeated," Addy said.
10K asked, "was it that bad?"
"Very," Addy said. 10K went to the window in the living room and looked out. Megan and her dad were having one intense argument. Addy looked out, "that looks bad. They're attracting the Zs too."
10K went to the door and opened it.
Mike shouted, "you and your goddamn preferences!" That was probably the cleanest thing 10K ever heard coming out of Mike's mouth.
Addy followed after and looked at the two. She smiled sweetly, "is everything okay out here?"
Mike pointed at Addy, "You! What's your preference?"
Addy looked confused, "my…preference?"
Mike pointed at 10K, "what's her preference?"
"What's your preference?" 10K replied back, glaring at this man that really grinded his gears.
Mike looked offended and blew past them into the house. He made sure to shove 10K to the side, nearly sending him to the ground and he glared at Mike.
Addy repeated, "my…preference?"
"Don't worry about it." Megan replied, looking like she was going to cry. 10K walked over and hugged her.
Addy watched as 10K whispered comforting words in Megan's ear. She couldn't see why Megan didn't like him like that. 10K seemed to care about her, even though he said that he liked her as a sister. She was nodding, as if understanding that it wasn't it her fault on whatever her dad was pissed off about. Megan pulled away and walked inside the house.
10K walked over to the house and was about to follow Megan in, when Addy stopped him. Addy looked at him, "is there something that we all should know about Megan?"
"Megan and I have it taken care of," 10K replied.
"Is she going to come with us?" Addy asked.
"Yes," 10K replied.
Addy wondered if there was something that he wasn't telling her. "Are you sure you like her as a sister?"
"Yes," 10K replied, sounding exasperated.
"Okay," Addy said and 10K walked inside in the house. Warren went to the fence and stabbed some Zs through the holes in the chain-link. She picked up the Z-whacker and went to stand by Warren. "Ever have the feeling that someone is hiding something for you?"
"What do you think 10K is hiding from you?" Warren asked and watched Addy stab a Z through the eye.
Addy was surprised, "what?"
"You two aren't as sly as you think you are," Warren replied. "I know what goes on in my group."
Addy wasn't sure what to say. "I think he may be crushing on Megan."
"What do you think about that?" Warren asked, looking at Addy and then stabbed another Z.
"I think…" Addy started, she didn't know what to feel. "I think it's a good thing that he has found someone his own age."
Warren looked at Addy, "then what's the problem?"
"He's hiding something. I don't know what," Addy replied. "I think it has to do with Megan's dad."
"He was yelling at everyone," Warren said, shaking her head. Vasquez, Doc, and Murphy left the house, all three looking disheveled. Warren looked at them and asked, "where's 10K?"
"He says that he has something important to do," Doc replied.
From inside they heard a crashing sound and they looked at the house. Warren grabbed the machete and they ran to the house. Megan and 10K appeared in the doorway.
"We really go to go," Megan rushed out and ran to the fence. 10K followed after her.
"What did you do?" Warren asked, following them.
"I think we should really go," 10K said.
The smoke was billowing from where the house was at.
"You burned down a house?" Warren asked 10K.
"I burned down the house," Megan said. "I followed the instructions."
10K looked at the blood on his fingers, "I just gouged out his eyeball."
"You did what?" Murphy asked, really confused.
10K looked at Murphy. "I told him that if he ever hurts Megan again, I will rip out his eyeball."
"He was abusing me," Megan replied. "All he ever did was hit me, nothing else."
"What did he mean by 'preference?'?" Addy asked, already getting an idea. 10K looked like he was trying hard to smile.
"He wanted to know if you like girls or boys," Megan replied. "He always did that every time I brought a girl home."
Addy finally caught on, "so, you like…"
"I'm a lesbian," Megan admitted.
Murphy looked at Vasquez, "in your face!"
"Shut up," Vasquez replied.
"To be honest, Vasquez would've won that bet," 10K replied.
Megan nodded, "it was a depressing time for him, after he had to mercy his father."
Vasquez did a fist-pump of victory, "victory was almost mine."
"Shut up!" Murphy replied, sounding agitated.
Addy said, "I really want to know the story behind that."
A/N: This came out longer than planned.
The title came from the Story of the Year song Angel in the Swamp, in which a girl is being abused by her father.
The burning down the house bit came from the Martina McBride song Independence Day.
The almost having sex thing was done out of 'Sex for Solace' and the farthest they got was removing their shirts.