Moving On

Quinn tried to hold Lana back from the horrifying scene that had just unfolded before them. The Gaiaphage had really struck Lana hard. Gaia went for Sanjit and he didn't even resemble anything human after Gaia was done with him. She screamed his name and was pushing against Quinn urgently. If she could just get there she thought she could save him. "Lana! Stop! We have to go, Sanjit is gone… you can't bring him back from that." He choked out as he started to pull her away. Her voice started to go out from screaming so much. It hurt Quinn to see her so broken over it.

Quickly Quinn picked up the screaming healer and started to carry her away. She fought against him but since Quinn had become a fisher he'd gained some extra muscle and she wasn't getting away from him that easily. His heart nearly broke when she stopped fighting and slumped against him in tears. He blinked back his own tears as he worked to escape the slaughter. Sam and Dekka were working with Caine to try and knock Gaia and Drake down a notch. So far nothing was working.

He shook his head to get the thoughts out of his mind. Gaia would eventually be taken down alongside Drake. He hoped he would be there when that eventually happened. Quinn trekked the mile or so to Clifftop while holding Lana. Patrick followed behind so quietly Quinn had forgotten the dog was even there.

Quinn kicked open the door and carefully maneuvered his way into the resort. Once he reached the room he had to set her on her feet in order to open the door. As it swung open he took in the faces of Sanjit's family. Lana saw them first and broke down; Quinn barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground. He carried her into the room and laid her down on the bed. Instantly she curled up with a pillow. Her muffled cries shook him to the core.

Virtue was first to say something. "He's gone isn't he?" he asked trying to sound calm but his voice betrayed him. Quinn closed his eyes and nodded. He heard one of the siblings, Peace perhaps, start to cry. "W-we'll be a couple of rooms down." he said, his voice quivering with emotion.

Quinn sat on the edge of the bed Lana was curled up on. Patrick had already taken the spot beside her. With her back to him he felt he could finally let out his own tears. They streaked down his face silently. He silently hoped Lana would be able to bounce back from this. He knew Sanjit was her rock of sorts before. Quinn decided he'd be there for her, no matter what.

4 weeks later

Quinn bounced on his toes as he waited on the other side of Lana's door. He'd been down on the water most of the day helping his crew fish. This had been his routine since the incident two weeks ago. Lana had stopped crying the day of the incident and for the first week she was unresponsive and depressed. He'd stopped her at least twice from killing herself. The second and third weeks she did nothing but stare at the wall and would burst into fits of anger. This week she seemed to be getting marginally better. At least he didn't have to worry about leaving her pistol with her. He was hoping that today she would smile. He had a slight surprise for her.

He stepped into the room after knocking. His eyes searched around the room until he noticed Lana on the balcony. "Knock, knock." He called with a small smile. She turned around and nodded slightly. Quinn made his way to the other side of the room and leaned against the balcony door. "You're going to get out of this room today." He said staring her down.

She sighed, "I don't want to today."

Quinn shook his head and grabbed her hand. "Come on. You say you don't want to everyday, well that's about to change." He tugged her out of the room and threw a clean – for the FAYZ that is – shirt her way. He turned his back to her and smirked. He heard her huff and a shirt drop to the floor.

Once he was sure she was changed he turned around. She was sticking her gun in her belt and sliding her shoes on. He smiled triumphantly.

"Alright, let's get this over with." She growled stalking out of the room angrily. He chuckled and followed Patrick out the door.

Quinn led the way down the hill to where a large fire was reaching into the sky. He breathed in deeply and smiled. He could see the realization dawn on Lana's face. "Quinn," she groaned trying to pull him to a stop. "I'm not hungry, really."

Quinn stopped and looked her in the eyes. They darted around like a scared animal. "Yes you are. You haven't properly eaten in the past few weeks. It's just a few people. There are a few fires around the town where people are chowing down." Since Albert went to the island they'd worked on keeping the money going. It wasn't working too well, so instead they took to sitting by the campfire every night to eat and gossip. Kids still worked although the Bertos were basically nonexistent. There was nothing better to do anyways. Doing nothing led to kids going crazy, Quinn had seen it happen twice already. Too many things had happened to the kids in the past months and many couldn't take it.

Lana still seemed edgy about the thought of everyone. She'd helped a few kids here and there during the past few weeks but she all but attacked them to kick them out. "It's alright…" Quinn said quietly. "I'll be there." He assured her. Her resolve seemed to disintegrate at that and she stopped pulling back. He held her hand and gently pulled her to the fire.

A few of Quinn's crew gave a cheer when they saw the two approaching the fire. Quinn chuckled and shook his head. "They're all happy because tomorrow is an off day. We pulled a double shift today." Lana snorted. Close enough to a laugh Quinn reasoned.

Quinn and Lana stayed at the campfire until late into the night. Slowly throughout the night Lana started to live again.

3 weeks later

"Hey Lana, I'm here." Quinn called as he walked into Dahra's makeshift hospital. He was quickly shushed by Virtue. Quinn muttered an apology and continued into the room. Lana was seated on the edge of a cot where a kid laid groaning. There were a few kids lying around the room, one or two asleep. His eyebrows raised at seeing The Breeze laid up bloody on one of the cots.

Dahra saw Quinn enter the room and immediately had him working. After a few hours of moving kids and bring food down Quinn finally had the chance to sit and talk to Lana. She was on the edge of The Breeze's cot and had her hand placed on the girl's head. Quinn took the empty cot beside Lana. "Any idea what happened?" he asked her quietly.

"As far as I know Drake happened." She said bitterly. "He attacked out of the blue earlier today. I don't think he was going after anyone in particular, well except her." She said nodding down to the sleeping girl.

Quinn frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "This needs to stop. Drake just needs to die and make everyone happy." Lana nodded with a frown. Quinn had realized that she still felt responsible for everything. She'd had the chance to kill the Gaiaphage and couldn't, then whip hand was made. He tried hard to assure her that it wasn't her fault. The Gaiaphage would have found a way to stop her anyways.

Quinn watched in fascination as the cuts started to seal up on Briana's arms and legs. Lana's ability was remarkable and he made sure she knew it. After the last few cuts sealed up Lana stood and stretched, her muscles straining and bones creaking. "Let's go." Quinn nodded and followed her out.

The two of them headed back up to Clifftop silently. Drake and Gaia seemed to be attacking a lot more lately. Lana saw it as them taunting everyone. Just when kids would start to feel safe they'd strike again. Word was that the lake had the exact same problem. Sam just had better fighters. Of course nothing really knocked the duo down enough. Lana was praying for the day when Drake and Gaia would be out of their lives forever.

They reached the top of the hill and went back up to Lana's room without a word. Quinn had taken to sleeping in her room like Sanjit used to do. Although he was up before the sun was to go work, Lana was able to sleep much better. Her nightmares about Sanjit had finally gone away in the last week or so.

Lana and Quinn were in the bed and asleep within minutes.

1 week later

"Lana… please don't freak out." Quinn started nervously. Lana was sitting in her chair in the corner messing with her gun. Probably not the best time to have this conversation, but Quinn was tired of waiting. She raised her eyebrow, waiting. "I, uh, I have a confession to make." Quinn was definitely not the best with talking with girls. She waved him on with her gun. Quinn swallowed and continued. "I think I'm in love with you." He blurted out in one large breath.

Lana's eyes widened as she stood up slowly. "Love?" she asked in disbelief. Her mind raced as she started towards Quinn. "I knew you liked me… but love? That's impossible." She said unsteadily. Lana couldn't be loved, especially not by Quinn. He was too much of a friend. They just wouldn't work well together, at least that's what she believed.

"It's not impossible!" he said defensively. "I'm in love with you because you're amazing. You're smart and wonderful." He added on.

Lana narrowed her eyes at Quinn and crossed her arms over her chest. Quinn was staring at the gun that she just seemed to sling around. "Eyes up here buddy." she said as she saw him looking down. "Fine you know what. I'll give this one week." She said gesturing between the two of them.

Quinn's face lit up like he'd received the best Christmas present in the world. "One week? Alright, I can manage with that." He replied happily.

Throughout the week Quinn tried showing Lana that they could be a good couple. They got into a few arguments here and there but otherwise things were looking up. Lana wouldn't admit it, but she really did like Quinn.

One day during that week Lana had just sunk into a depression again. She was remembering Sanjit and felt guilty. Quinn tried pulling her out of it on numerous occasions.

"Lana, it's not your fault remember. You couldn't do anything." The two of them were sitting out by the ocean. Lana jumped up and started to walk back to Clifftop. "Lana, you can't keep running away from things!" he called out angrily. "Sanjit is gone! You couldn't do anything to bring him back! Why can't you move on?"

She spun on her heel and walked back towards him. "You want to know why?" She yelled at him, the vein in her forehead visible. "Because I was in love with him and I couldn't save him! That's why! I feel guilty because I actually do like you, and I know that if I had kept Sanjit at Clifftop that day then he'd still be here!"

Quinn started walking towards her, his feet sinking in the sand slightly as he walked. "Lana, you have to stop blaming yourself. He would have went whether you wanted him to or not."

Lana's hands went to her hair as she tugged on it angrily. "You don't know anything!" she screamed at him.

"I know you and I knew him!" He yelled in response.

The two of them were maybe 6 feet away. Kids down the beach were starting to stare and point. Lana was seething. "You don't know me! You don't know him! Quit trying to say you did!"

"Quit trying to say I didn't! You two were always my friends. Especially you! I'm in love with you and nothing is going to change that! You have to let him go!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" she screamed at him. Within a split second she had her gun out and aiming at Quinn. Before he could protest a shot rang.

Quinn sank to his knees in shock. The bullet had pierced his right shoulder and blood was seeping out already. "I can't believe you shot me." He muttered through the pain that started to go through his shoulder. Lana was frozen in her spot. She looked down at her gun with wide eyes. At the sound of Quinn's groan from the pain she tossed the gun down and ran to his side.

Lana's hands quickly reached out for his shoulder. From the close distance that she shot him, the bullet had gone through both ends. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She chanted as she held her hands on both sides of his wound. Quinn groaned as his muscles, veins and arteries started to stitch themselves back together. He could feel it growing back and it hurt worse than the initial bullet. "Oh Quinn I'm so sorry!" Lana said quickly as he groaned.

"You owe me for this." Quinn groaned.

"Two more weeks?" she offered with a smile.

Quinn chuckled and nodded weakly. "Two more weeks." He agreed. He would take what he could get.