Yay chapter 3, sorry this took so long, I had writers block for a while, hopefully chapter 4 won't take as long. Anyway I hope you enjoy this.
Disclaimer; I still don't own anything.
Chapter 3: Reunions
The old school building was the perfect place for them to set up a more permanent camp; it looked like it had been a boarding school when it was still used as a school so there were bedrooms and large bathrooms inside it. Slade, Jack and Ellie examined the whole building, and while it was dark it seemed to have the capability for electric lighting and heating. Jack had found several old generators in a basement and he was sure with a little bit of TLC he could get the up and running, it was at times like this he wished he had Dal to help, Dal had always been better at getting his hands actually dirty. Slade had found some food in what had been a canteen; he was surprised that no one had taken the food, considering how long school had been abandoned for.
"We should probably get back to the camp." Jack suggested once they were all reunited again; "The others will want to move here before it gets dark." They all moved together out of the old school building, Jack wondered if they change of home would mean that they would have to change their name. Would they be the school rats now. The thought amused him and Ellie wondered what he was thinking as they all headed back to the beach.
O0o0o0o0
May was listening as Lex continued to talk Sasha's ear off. The young blond was looking slightly distressed as Lex regaled another tale that involved Amber getting hurt or Amber being 'dead'. He was getting a picture of her last three or so years that didn't really seem like a pretty one.
"They tested what on her?" he asked his voice cracking slightly as he followed Ebony and Lex back towards the beach.
Lex slowed down so that Sasha was level with him; "It was called paradise. It was a computer game but the test subjects were forced to play 24/7. They couldn't sleep and were only allowed to eat when fed. She was a mess when she came back to us."
Ebony was trying to block Lex out, after Sasha had expressed his horror at her part in Amber's troubles she had stopped listening, she was now hoping that Slade would actually talk to her when they got back to the beach, she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice when Lex stopped and walked straight into him. She muttered an apology and moved so that she could walk around him. May watched her carefully, usually if Ebony was this quiet it meant that she was planning something, her expression however was downcast and sad. May was not worried that Ebony was making plans. Not this time at least.
"Well here we are." Lex said as they stepped onto the beach both Ebony and May carried on walking but Lex stopped and Sasha stood beside him; "You will notice that we are missing quite a few people." Lex's expression was now more solemn; "We have lost quite a few friends." Sasha cast his gaze over the group there were quite a few faces that he didn't recognise, Lex had moved forwards leaving Sasha stood on the edge of the woods, the frown that had been furrowing his brow deepened as he made a mental note of how many faces weren't there, how many friends he needed to ask after. Following Lex slowly Sasha tried his best to smile at the group, most of whom were giving him odd looks.
"Guys!" A vaguely familiar voice called out and Sasha looked up and smiled at a face that he did recognise; "Hey guys we found- Sasha?" he got distracted as he made eye contact with the blond. Jack stepped forwards and wrapped his arms around the older man, Jack was slightly smug to find that he was now taller than his old friend; "Where have you been?" he then realised that everyone watching him; "Oh yeah. Sorry. Ellie, Slade and I found an old school house about a mile that way, it has running water and a generator that I think I can get running, and it was a boarding school so there are plenty of beds."
"A new home?" Salene asked standing up smiling. Sasha smiled at her, someone else he recognised though she had changed a lot from the girl he had known four years ago; "When the others get back we should head over there." The authority that Sasha heard in her voice was new, but it was certainly an improvement from the timid child she had been.
Sasha then turned back to Jack who was grinning at him; "Wow it has been so long. What are you doing here? Did the technos pick you up?"
The blond smiled and nodded; "Yeah, my winning charm seems to always end up with me getting handcuffed to something or someone...talking of being handcuffed to someone, how is Dal?" Sasha mentally kicked himself as he watched Jack's expression grow dark, the younger man didn't need to explain; "I'm sorry. How? If you don't mind me asking."
"I don't mind," he inhaled deeply; "he fell from some scaffolding when he was running from the Chosen. He died in Amber's arms." Jack swallowed hard avoiding the other man's gaze; "It feels like so long ago now, you've missed so much. Eagle mountain, the Chosen and the Technos though I suppose you didn't really miss the Technos." Jack smiled slightly and pleased when Sasha returned it.
"Lex did his best to fill me in. How many friends have you lost?" Jack frowned closing his eyes for a moment; "If it is too painful-"
"I'm just working it out...since you left us? A list of those who are dead or missing?" Sasha nodded, he needed to know; "Patsy, Cloe, KC, Zandra, Tai-San, Ryan and Bray." Jack pulled a face; "Many more have died or gone missing that you wouldn't have known. We get broken a lot but we put ourselves back together." Sasha smiled at that, it was nice to know that they weren't all falling apart; "Alice? KC!" Jack was suddenly up on his feet as Amber had arrived with Alice and KC, Sasha smiled to himself, the list of the missing had just got one name shorter. Amber hadn't changed at all Sasha decided. Her clothes were probably the most drastic difference, gone was the long black leather coat and the huge boots, she looked more comfortable, Sasha contemplated calling out to her but instead watched as she walked over to Trudy whose eyes met Sasha's for a moment before the blond realised what Amber was doing. She had a child. He watched as Trudy spoke to Amber, the latter stood up straighter and her eyes locked with Sasha's instantly. She smiled sadly at him before making her way towards him; "Sasha." She greeted shifting baby Bray onto her hip, he babbles away as his mother smiles at her old friend.
"It has been a lot time. Things have changed." He said his eyes drifting to the child in her arms, knowing now that Bray was one of those missing or dead Sasha wondered if this child was fatherless or if Amber had moved on.
Amber allowed herself a quick smile as she nodded; "Things certainly have. I suppose people have been trying to fill you in."
Sasha nodded; "Although they did neglect to mention that you had a baby." Amber smiled as she shifted her son a little higher on her hip.
"We should get moving. If everyone is back- Jack found a place for us to stay." Slade announced to the group, Amber turned away from Sasha to face the others.
"Jay and Ram have stayed behind at one of the encampments we can go get them in the morning. Come on Jack lead us to our new home." Her tone of voice was a mix of excitement and trepidation it had been so long since they had been homeless, it would be different living in somewhere new. She seemed to forget her conversation with Sasha as she moved over to help Trudy get all of the kids up and ready. Sasha noted that having a baby had certainly changed her, it aged her and kept her young all at the same time, she seemed happy.
"Slade-" Ebony approached him and watched as his expression turned stony as his eyes met hers; "I- I just wanted to say that I am sorry. I've lost too many people and trust isn't something that I do easily...she told me...I. I am just sorry ok." She sighed before walking away from him.
Salene had been watching the exchange, Slade glanced at her and sighed; "What am I supposed to say to her? She tried to kill Ruby because she thought she was pregnant- I...that isn't the actions of someone I know or trust." Salene smiled kindly at him.
"She is sorry though. Ebony never apologises to anyone for anything so, I think you have changed her. Give her a chance to prove herself to you before you go writing her off completely." Salene walked away from him, she could hardly believe that she had just stood up for Ebony, after everything the other girl had done to her friends.
Ebony had heard the exchange and was watching as Salene packed her bag; "Thank you." She said loudly enough for the other girl to hear, Salene looked up and smiled at her before nodding.
"You're welcome Ebony. He is good for you, but you still need to apologise to Ruby, saying sorry to Slade for something you did to someone else is one thing, apologising to the person you did it to, is another story entirely." Ebony smiled a very rare smile.
"When did you get so wise?" she asked picking up her own bag and swinging it over her shoulder.
Salene shrugged; "I really don't know. It just happened I guess. I think that he really does love you though Ebony that is why he is so torn. What you did was awful, but he can still find it in his heart to love you in spite of that. You're lucky."
"Do you think you'll find Ryan here? I mean, Lex is hell bent on finding Tai-San maybe Ryan ended up here too." Ebony's first attempt at a meaningful conversation was going well. Salene appreciated the effort that she was putting into their talk.
She smiled sadly; "Probably not. Ryan wasn't taken by the Technos he was taken by The Chosen. I, I think I have come to terms with the fact that I may never see him again."
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"Sir." A boy of about sixteen stood before him, looking the man nodded for him to continue; "The Mall Rats are heading for the old school house, we do not have an observation tower in that district. We will be unable to track their movements. Do you want us to stop them?" The man shook his head, he and his followers had moved into the underground tunnels some of them led to the old school.
"One of you will infiltrate them. If you head to the school now Scout you can get their before them, befriend them, get as much information from them as possible and then you will report back to me ok?" the boy nodded before turning away, he would have to move fast to be at the old school before the Mall Rats. "Ram will know to start looking for me soon enough and when he does, I will be waiting." He smiles to himself as he turns to look at a computer screen, numbers and codes passing in front of his eyes as he tapped at the keyboard, his guards all knew that he was planning something.
0o0o0o0o
"It isn't far now." Jack encouraged smiling over at Ellie who was walking beside her sister, he was glad that they had been reunited it had been a while since he had seen Ellie this happy.
Gel huffed; "I don't like walking, and I think I broke a nail already."
Darryl sighed and shook his head, it wasn't the first time that he found himself wondering how she had managed to survive the virus when she clearly had been a pampered little daddy's girl while her parents had been alive; "I could carry you?" he offered and was met by an icy glare before she huffed again and flounced away.
"Darryl she really isn't worth it." Ruby said patting him on the shoulder. "Come on." She led him forwards smiling to herself, some people would probably never learn.
"So Jack," Trudy had caught up with him at the front, Brady on her back as they walked together through the undergrowth; "what are the sleeping quarters like?" she asked smiling at him.
"From what we saw it looked like lots of bunk-beds. Rooms that would hold about six people, but there were a fair few so I don't think people will have to share, and I am sure that some of the beds can be made into doubles rather than singles." He smiled informing her just as they moved around a particularly large tree and the old school building came into view; "Here we are." He said triumphantly, he was clearly still very pleased with himself.
0o0o0o0o
Jay and Ram were busy taking everyone's names down before telling them that they were free to go. Some of them had asked where they were free to go considering they had nowhere to go. Jay had shrugged and apologised he knew that this was difficult, they would all have to start again on this new island.
"It will be dark soon Jay." Ram commented watching as the blond patted someone on the shoulder and pointed to a group of people.
Jay turned to look at him; "Yeah and?" he asked.
Ram sighed; "Well we can't keep doing this all night, you haven't found Bray there is a hut up the beach that we can sleep in. We'll carry on tomorrow."
"I never said I was looking for Bray." Jay defended himself, perhaps too much as he then cast his gaze to the sand beneath his feet.
Ram smiled at his former general; "You want to help her find him, but you know that if she does get him back she will go back to him. I- I can't say I understand it but if it is what you want to do I am not going to stop you."
The blond nodded; "Thank you, I know it sounds silly but I want her to be happy. Baby Bray deserves to have his father back if I can find him."
Ram shook his head; "You are a better man than me."
"Well I already knew that." Jay said with a smile as he turned and walked towards the hut that Ram had pointed out earlier. This was going to be a long job, setting all of the prisoners free but Jay knew that it would be worth it, people being caged up and used as slaves, the thought of it made his stomach turn. The thought that his brother could be here only served to make the bile rise higher in his throat.
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A/N: Woo Sasha has been reunited with the Mall Rats. Maybe Slade will forgive Ebony. Who is the mystery man watching over them all who wants revenge on Ram? You might find out soon. Anyway reviews are wonderful they make me very happy, no flames please. Chapter 4 coming soon I hope.