This is a scene that I wrote that I ended up cutting from the final draft of last chapter because it didn't suit my needs. :/ I have the strangest urge to give my characters a good life and an easy time but then the story would be uninteresting. But I wanted to post this for you guys because I know Where the Sun is Always Shining is taking kind of a conflicted turn and I figured you could use some happy. Plus, I'm kind of taking forever with the actual romance. (Also, I might use some of this later on)
They fight their way through the madness and Sunshine spots a man cowering behind a makeshift bar counter, a familiar rifle at his feet. When they approach, he picks it up with shaky hands.
"G-get back!" he cries, waving the rifle. "This thing will turn you into green slop!"
"I know," Sunshine says impatiently. "It's my rifle."
"You'd better g-get," he says. "I'll shoot, I swear to God! Oh God, Forty. I-I didn't mean to miss!"
"Listen," Sunshine says gently. "You don't want that rifle, right? And I don't want to kill you. Let's trade."
"T-trade? No. No! You started all of this! With your damned cleverness and bleeding heart! If it w-weren't for you, I would still have enough Med-X to get my fix and the s-shakes wouldn't be so bad! Forty'd still be alive! Oh God, oh God!" He aims the rifle at her with shaky hands and she swears, grabbing Crimson around the waist to pull her away. He pulls the trigger and she feels the heat of a blast of plasma as it barely misses them.
God damn it. She was going to be killed by her own gun. Charon would be so disappointed.
The sound of an assault rifle firing fills the air. The man with her gun lets out a choked scream and slumps against the makeshift bar.
"Sunshine!" a familiar and raspy voice calls. "Kid, it's me!" She turns, her heart racing so fast she is afraid it might burst out of her chest. She never thought she would hear his voice again. She had been so afraid that the last time she would hear it would be during those Med-X induced hallucinations.
"Charon?" she whispers, heart catching in her throat. She drops Eulogy's gun and runs toward his figure silhouetted against the sun. She fears that he is another hallucination until she feels strong arms wrap tightly around her in return, pulling her against a hard and ruined chest. The pressure against her wounds is excruciating but she has never felt more at peace.
"Sunshine," Charon breaths. "You're okay." She nods, tears falling from her eyes. "This is never happening again. Ever." He presses a kiss to the top of her head and his hand tangles in her hair. She inhales sharply, starling Charon. She pushes away from him slightly.
"My dad," she asks in a shaky voice. "Is he-?" She can't bring herself to finish the thought, but she has to know.
"Right behind you, sweetie!" she hears her father call and she almost sobs in relief. She buries her face back in Charon's chest and his arms tighten around her almost uncomfortably.
"I'm so glad you're alive," she says. Everything that happened, everything that she had endured-it was kid stuff compared to how her world would shatter if Charon and her father had died like the slavers had planned. Charon nods.
"We're tough, kid," he says against her hair. "We wouldn't leave you alone." She nods against his chest. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."
"No," she says, her words muffled. "I have to help these people first. Not all of their collars are disabled. And Rory is still in The Box." Charon eyes the Pulowski Preservation Shelter balefully.
"All right," he sighs, reluctantly pulling away from her. "Let's go rescue hapless wastelanders for no pay, as always." Despite herself, she finds a smile spring to her face.
"You love it, you big softie," she says. He shakes his head, smiling in return.
"Just you," falls from his lips before he can think better of it. He coughs, willing himself to turn it into a joke. Shaking his head, he adds, "The things I do for your affection."
She smiles back and stares at him, trying to memorize everything about him. Every detail, every imperfection, was hers.
And then they just kissed and James never died and all was right with the world amen.