A/N: I keep flip flopping on what the rating of this story should be...I haven't quite decided but I may be changing it back to "M" soon if only due to the swearing and violence. I haven't quite decided how far to take things so if you are 18 and over and I change it to "M" be sure to add the story to your alert list! PLEASE REVIEW! I would love to hear people's take on my story!

Chapter 7

The 2nd Mass. stayed on the move for days...barely stopping long enough to sleep. They ran into a few Mechs and Skitters along the way but nothing they couldn't handle, especially with the Berserkers relentlessly keeping watch. Pope had done his best to avoid Lea each day. He knew she was looking to speak to him again but he had nothing else to say to her. Even with the occasional disapproving eye from Tom Mason, he managed to dodge her each day. Finally the group came to an old train yard, turning the bottom level of the train station itself into a make shift medical center. On the upper level there was an old café, easy for the group to set up a mess hall as well as other areas that could be used for storing weapons, supplies and meeting rooms. Multiple train cars littered the yard, including a dining car attached to a few sleeper cars. Pope eyed it immediately and quickly took claim to it for himself and his fellow Berserkers.

"We'll have Popetown up and running in no time, even better, we'll reestablish "The Nest" in that dining car...every Popetown needs a proper bar!" He laughed.

Tom Mason started to disapprove but Weaver quickly stopped him.

"Let him have it Tom...there's plenty of room for the rest of us...besides...people will need a place to unwind and relax...these bridges above us will give us all good cover from ships passing by. This will be a good place to rest awhile and restock our supplies as much as we can. We're running low on ammo and we need to stay put awhile and give Pope and his men a chance to make some more of those Mech metal bullets..." Weaver advised.

"I just hate how he waltzes in and takes over without even checking with anyone else..." Tom complained.

"He'll always be that way...best to pick your battles with him Tom...now why don't you go find a train car of your own for your family to settle into...meet back in the main train station in about two hours...I'll spread the word to the others.

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Lyle scribbled "The Nest" on a piece of cardboard with magic marker and duct taped it to the side of the dining car. Tector was inside with Pope rearranging the furniture that was there.

"Perfect...there's already a bar...we don't have to make one huh?" Tector remarked.

"Hell yeah...now we just have to scavenge us some alcohol and get Boon working on some moonshine...can't always be serving the good stuff...gotta give those cheap bastards out there the shitty stuff once they've had a few...we don't want to burn through our supplies too fast." Pope replied.

"I'll be right back...going to go see what all we have left in the truck..." Tector headed outside.

Pope smiled but quickly went back to work. He pulled boxes marked "glassware" out from underneath the bar and started setting them out. Once Tector was gone, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a flask. "Don't worry...I brought my own..." He laughed to himself as he poured himself a drink. He heard the door open again and looked up but the smile on his face quickly left. "What do you want?" He asked smugly.

Lea approached the bar and sat across from him on one of the stools.

"We ain't serving tonight so you might as well leave..." Pope snarled at her.

"You're drinking..." Lea remarked.

"Just say whatever it is you're here to say and leave...I don't have time for idle chit chat..." Pope stated.

"You've got a business to run?" Lea asked sarcastically.

"That's right...I do!" Pope snapped back.

Lea took and deep breath and sighed. "Can't we just talk like two normal people?"

Pope took a swig of his drink but kept his eyes on her then rested the glass back hard on the counter. "We've never been two normal people..."

"I want your help finding Brandon..." Lea insisted.

Pope shook his head and started unpacking the boxes again. "He wouldn't be with those things if you had never taken them from me to begin with...hell even Tanya might still be alive..."

"I don't care if you think this is all my fault...blame me all you want but help me find our son!" Lea pleaded.

Pope stopped and leaned on the counter for a moment. He stared down at the floor trying to figure out what he wanted to say next. "Why?"

Lea looked at him clearly taken aback. "Why?...because he's your son?"

"No...I mean why did you take them away from me? You could've stayed...I only had to serve five years...four if I played nice in the joint...they could've stayed a part of my life...I wouldn't have gotten out and been a complete stranger to them..." Pope was surprisingly calm but sounded hurt at the same time. It was the first sign of real emotion Lea had seen from him in a long time.

"You had already left us John..." Lea told him.

"NO..." He fought back his anger as hard as he could and tried to stay calm. "No...I just needed some space...I told you that...I told you I just needed some space and time to sort some things out...I never intended it to be permanent...you knew that!" Pope insisted.

"You moved out...you left me alone with two young kids...then that stunt you pulled with Brandon and that guy in the neighborhood..." Lea started to say but Pope cut her off.

"HE PRACTICALLY RAN OVER OUR SON IN THE STREET! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO? I TOLD THAT JERK TO STOP SPEEDING THROUGH THERE AND HE PRACTICALLY SPIT IN MY FACE...I had no show Brandon how to stand up for himself...I...I just didn't expect it to go that far..." Pope grabbed his glass and drank what remained then quickly poured himself another, emptying the flask. "Shit...Tector better find something in that that truck..."

"I'm just saying...you left us then you landed in jail...we had no means of taking care of ourselves...I had to move to Florida...my family was there and I needed help...I had nothing!" Lea replied.

"My brother would've taken care of you while I was gone..." Pope insisted.

Lea laughed a little then grew angry herself. "Billy?...You can't be serious...he's part of the reason why I left in the first place..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Pope looked at her confused.

"Just...nevermind...forget it...we're getting off track...we need to focus on our son..." Lea tried to redirect the conversation but Pope wasn't ready to let go.

Pope came our from behind the bar and approached her. She started to stand up but he quickly rushed towards her and shoved her back down. "No...you tell me what you meant by that..." Pope stared her straight in the eyes as he shoved his finger in her face.

Pope could see in Lea's eyes how much she regretted mentioning it but reluctantly she spoke. "Your brother...had a different idea of taking care of me than either you or I would have..."

"No..." Pope shook his head but his eyes were locked on her.

"Yes John...and I think deep down you know that...you know your brother...and you know me...you've always been able to tell when I wasn't telling you the truth...am I lying to you now?" Lea asked.

Pope clinched his jaw. "I'll admit my brother was no saint...especially when it came to women but he wouldn't have laid a finger on you...he wouldn't have done that to me..." He insisted.

Lea didn't speak, she just stared at him.

Pope could feel his eyes beginning to well up with tears and quickly turned away from her. "Dammit..." Pope uttered to himself and rubbed his face with his hands. He looked back at her for a moment and she could see in his eyes he knew what she was saying was true. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"And what...have you sit in prison and stew about it for years? Then what would've happened when you got out?" Lea asked.

"I would've..." Pope stopped himself and walked back behind the bar. "I probably would've killed him myself..."

"Which is exactly why I never told you..." Lea remarked.

Pope grabbed his drink, took a sip then sat it on the bar in front of her. "Finish it..."

Lea looked down at the glass then back at Pope. He nodded his head and gestured towards the glass for her to drink. Lea took a deep breath then gulped down the last of his whiskey, sitting the glass back on the bar but keeping a firm grip on it. Pope smiled and laughed to himself a little when she struggled a little to swallow but she held it down. He looked away for a moment then back at her as she took another deep breath.

"Wow!" She remarked as she held her chest for a moment.

Pope looked at her and smiled. "That's my girl..."

Lea started to take her hand away but Pope gently took hold of it with his. He locked eyes with her and the smile quickly faded and he grew serious again.

"Did my brother ever...ever hurt you?" He asked softly.

"He came the first night after your sentencing...drunk as a skunk...he tried but luckily passed out before he really did anything. The kids were terrified...that's when I packed them up and we left..." Lea told him.

Tector entered the dining car not realizing Lea was in there and immediately began talking. "Got a few bottles of poison here Pope! At least enough for a little...fun...oh...sorry...I didn't know anyone was here."

Pope quickly jerked his hand away from hers and his demeanor turned hard and cold. "She was just leaving...that's the problem with women...they just want to talk everything to death..." Pope stepped as far away behind the bar from the counter as he could but kept his eyes on Tector.

Lea waited as she stared at Pope for a moment then looked at Tector. He awkwardly smiled at her, clearly uncomfortable and not knowing what to do or say as he held a small box in his arms.

"Bring those here Tec..." He then redirected his attention towards Lea. "Why don't you go cry to that Mason jerk...I'm sure he'd be a real sucker for your sob story...me...I'm not buying it...I've got nothing else to say to you."

Lea looked as if he had slapped her in the face but she didn't say another word before turning to leave.

"Well...that was awkward..." Tector nervously laughed as he walked over to the bar.

"Let's see what you got in here...this may be just enough for us Berserkers to polish off tonight..." Pope remarked as he reached for a bottle.

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