Heya guys! Sorry it's been a while, been trying to get this sounding right-plus I kept thinking of extra things to put in! Hopefully you'll like it! Bit of humour, bit of angst, bit of general description- Something for everyone! Hooray!
As always please let me know what you think of this instalment, hope it doesn't disappoint!
Chapter 9
"Lexa? Lexa!" Caleb called searching for her along the silent corridors. No answer.
No bashing sounds either so it could be worse he reasoned, attempting to console himself. It was far too quiet though. What had she said? Back to work? What did that mean? Then it hit him. His lair, the collected bio rods. That was it. She'd be there. Relieved at his conclusion his body flipped into autopilot mode. His mind however was struggling to take stock. And what stock.
Just what the hell was going on?
His mother created the Roboidz and his mentor had gone mental plus the fact that his one human friend got raised by a warmonger and they could well be the last people left on earth. Fantastic.
He stepped into the Lair's ante room, Lexa was sat, back facing him at a work benching soldering something furiously. It was obvious, even to him, that she was angry. Her movements screamed of barely controlled rage.
Funny, so was he. Part of him now understood the term 'ignorance is bliss' Still they had to get on with things, had a job to do.
But he still didn't like to see her upset.
"Lexa?"
"Almost done!"
"Lexa are you alright?"
"I'm fine," She lied brusquely, "nearly finished."
He picked his way over to her, hand reaching for her shoulder; she spun round to face him before it touched her, making him jump. She was smiling too much, the fixed, unnerving sort that was usually painted on to things. She presented him with her creation.
"What is it?" He was only humouring her, he knew exactly what she's been building but having her talk was probably a good move.
"A portable light source, ready for room size illumination, I figured we'd best start rigging stuff up to tide us over while we power up Futuregate."
"Good thinking," He hesitated, trying to find the words, "Listen, Lexa, I'm sorry about Cybele, "
"Why? Why should you be sorry for that jealous, over –zealous apology for AI programming?" Lexa snapped, her rage simmering to the surface.
"Jealous?" Caleb was caught off guard.
"Yeah, I wasn't kidding back there, the only reason she's that angry with us, with me, is that you made up your own mind and you acted on it with me. You've got someone else now and she doesn't like it." Her eyes blazed like a forest-fire.
"Well, she's still adjusting."
"So am I!" she all but yelled
"Well, it's a lot to deal with!" He tried to parry.
"Tell me about it!" Pausing trying to calm down, "Look, you don't have to defend her."
"But she's all I've had, the only voice for five years!" Caleb countered, his own voice beginning to rise in temper.
"Right, and now you've got another one." Her assuretey on the matter flared his anger unnaturally at him.
"Lexa, you can't just waltz in here and take over. I've only known you for THREE days!" He pointed out heatedly.
"A lot can happen in three days!" She argued gamely, "We ended the war for a start! But I'm not trying to take over!" Her temper spiking at his sudden demonstration of stupidity.
"No? Well the way you two are going it's like I'm something to fight over."
"What? You're not! I've never said that!" The idea was absurd and only served to annoy her further.
"Well it sounds to me very much like that I'm meant to pick sides!" He was very near full on shouting now, his eyes growing steel-like flashing in vehemence.
"Don't be so rusted!" She exclaimed in exasperation, "I'm just angry about the way she spoke to me, she's got no right to talk about Io, she doesn't know what it was like AND she certainly shouldn't be treating you like a kid!" Voice crescendo with his return explosion,
"Don't you think I don't know THAT?"
"It's all wrong!" He continued, passion underscoring his voice, " I'd almost wish for the Roboidz to online! At least with them about there wasn't time for all this mess."
"You don't mean that!" Lexa was aghast at the very thought.
"Don't I?" He demanded hotly, as if daring her to try and contradict him, "Well I'm sick of being told what I should and shouldn't do, think and shouldn't think! I can't stand it! It's too much. My mum made the Roboidz, my mentor's gone mental and I'm arguing with my best friend."
Lexa made towards him, her own anger cooling in the face of his sudden distress.
"No," he held out a guarding hand, fighting with himself as well to keep his voice under control, "I'm sorry, I know it's not your fault, but I can't, it's too much, too scrambled to process. I need, need to think, need to work it out, I'm sorry, I'll see you later."
With that he was gone, out and away from the lair.
Lexa stood, stunned. Half of her wanted to run out after him, offer him comfort, talk to him, something. But the other half stayed rooted to the spot. Never mind the argument, he really had too much on his plate right now. And she certainly wasn't helping. No. He, like her had spent far too long on his own. He needed space. It was a default setting. Space. On your own was something you got used to. Whether you liked it or not.
She, however gripped the bench, truly battling the urge to seek out company, this was, unfortunately, her particular default setting. Panic. Panic at being alone. She'd only managed the previous minutes away from him because she was fuelled with blind rage. Now, far calmer, her fears began to build impressively.
No. She clamped down them. It was just like the heights and she sure as bolt cutters could master it. It wasn't fair. Caleb needed time on his own. It didn't bother him nearly as much and right now she'd only be a hindrance. No. Let him rage, let him unscramble things in some semblance of peace.
By the stars he needed it.
She felt truly awful for him. She was barely handling Galen's little bit of news and Caleb had all that to deal with? Wow, had she gotten off lightly. Guilt began worming up to make belly-fellows with her solitary terror. How could she be so heartless as to rage at him?
Think of something else, anything else. She told herself firmly, Come on, something to focus on, just for a little while, then you can go to him. Go to him and apologize for your hand in this mess. She cast her eyes about.
The work bench was decidedly unappealing.
What to do, what to do? Her body decided for her. Letting out a loud rumble she realised something important;
Massive emotional discoveries and outbursts really made you hungry.
She headed over to the Lair. Caleb must have some food stashed about somewhere-they'd gone through her ration packs with the recruits. Cheeky things! They'd attempted to turn their noses up at good basic nutrition! Although they changed their tune when Caleb offered them cockroaches in all seriousness. That was something she hoped he was just teasing them with to push them towards the packs. Really hoped.
Lexa was well aware of there being better tasting stuff available somewhere, but right now, after five years she'd gotten rather used to the taste of old candles. That said far too much about her. Ugh.
Caleb wasn't coming back anytime soon going by the mood he'd left in so she started to investigate. For a room she'd actually spent quite a lot of time in (and slept in for gear-chains sake!) she had barely taken a second look at.
Time to rectify that.
The lair looked like it had once been a work lab, His occupation made seem almost cosy now though, a real human touch, over all the cold science. She especially liked his circular board with the impaled picture of a Guard. It made her smile, wishing she could have done that to the real thing when they were terrorising her friends.
Caleb's desk was what remained of a research bench but the rest of the room, surrounded by equipment and filling systems. Over by the corner (protected by a ream of defunct computer banks she had noted approvingly) lay his, their bedspace. It was some kind of unspoken agreement that they'd share the space from now on, each needing the security of the other in the long hours of darkness.
The opposite corner acted as his basic maintenance store, Water canisters, some complicated apparatus for gathering something (in fact one of Caleb's earliest inventions post wake up. A simple distilling rig, portable and easy assemble his fall back plan when it didn't rain) WD40 and, bingo! Food! On closer inspection however the 'food' turned out to be only a nearest approximation to the word. Collected were, several empty packets of nuts, some long black bitter things that looked like boot laces and a half eaten hard lump of pale squiggly stuff that after a few seconds she realised must be instant noodles. Evidently Caleb had taken the 'instant' part a bit too literally. Urgh.
She sorely wished she'd asked the recruits about other food before they'd sent them home. Her stomach snarled savagely at her. She had to find something to placate it else she'd never hear the end of it.
There was nothing for it.
A little exploration was in order. She crossed back to the desk, hunting out Caleb's collection of schematics. There had to be a galley somewhere on this base.
Lexa found herself on deck 6 sub section F admist boxes and boxes of sealed packets. Going by the dust that had assaulted her when she broke in, Caleb had never found this hoard. Her mouth started watering at the sight of them. These contained proper food. Meals! Albeit freeze-dried but she been living off emergency rations for the last five years.
This lot was a banquet.
Half the words stamped around her made no sense, she didn't recognise them having never seen them before. This was going to prove interesting. At least she had long experience of how to prepare this kind of sustenance. All she had to do was locate a decent water supply and a way to heat it then they would be in business.
After some extended ferreting Lexa found a water pump attached to a tap of some sort. Turning it did nothing. On closer inspection the pipes appeared to have locked solid. Minor mechanical meddling would fix that. That, and a hefty wallop in the right place.
Soon the water was running free and surprisingly clear for being around 43 years old. However she was taking no chances, this stuff was getting a boiling just to be on the safe side. Which lead her to the next item on the agenda, heat.
Remembering the sources Io had used on occasion, discs of some sort. There must be something she could use in here. Somewhere.
A quick scout about unearthed something recognisable. At least it looked similar enough for the parts she wanted. A big box of an appliance but the discs looked simple enough to disconnect and remove. It needed a power source though. Looking about and finding none she sighed, sinking against one of the tall metal lockers lining the walls. There wasn't going to be a power source until she and Caleb got the generators up and running again. Ugh. That was going to be an arduous job. She slumped. Closing her eyes, running a hand through her increasingly grimy curls she began considering her options for food.
Cold mush was seriously unappetising.
Something clattered loudly by her hip. She looked down, startled then laughed out loud.
"I have definitely got some wires crossed." She sighed to herself.
Her satchel, heavy with fresh bio rods, bumped against her side.
She could work with that.
If she took all this back to the lair she could make a comfortable go of cobbling together the first decent meal they'd both had in a long time. All she had to do now was pick out what they were going to eat. She licked her lips. This was going to be a pleasure.
Rifling through various tubs and packets she picked out the basics- meat, mash and veg. She wimped out on picking the more exotic options this time, they both needed healthy, sustaining food right now. At least something that had nutrients she recognised for a start. Something to keep them going. But her eyes kept drifting back to what she assumed was the most exotic of food stuffs stocked. The words certainly looked appealing, if a little odd.
"Ban-nan-a I-ce- Cr-eam?" Well that was definitely weird. But, she gave it a second thought. It sounded daft enough for Caleb to like, even if it was just saying the words 'Ba-nan-a, Ice and Cre-am." Especially Ba-nan-a. Who had ever come up with THAT?
One other thing caught her attention. A thick blocked bar of something called 'Chocolate.' She tried on the name for size "Choc-O-Late" and liked the way it sounded, making her mouth move in anticipation.
She lasted about two and a half seconds.
Breaking her self-imposed rule of saving finds till she got back to the lair.
She couldn't resist.
Scrutinising the bar as she turned it over and over in her hands she gave in and began to unwrap it, carefully easing back the paper, then the foil. Scent rolled over her, rich and deep. Luxurious. Forget mouth watering this mahogany block was making her very jaws ache.
It was too much to take.
Ignoring every food warning she'd ever been taught she nipped off the corner. Taste engulfed her, warm and silky, sweeter than anything she'd ever experienced. Hastily she sunk her teeth into it, biting off a much larger chunk and let it melt down her throat.
Second taste?
Still just as incredible.
She re-wrapped it quickly. She HAD to save some for Caleb. This stuff was impossible to describe properly other than 'WOW' and that would be all she could do if she left open any longer-she could already hear her stomach growling for more.
Maybe it would help make up for her part in the argument. Her belly fluttered unhelpfully. Well, with that hopeful thought she gathered up her spoils and headed back to the Lair.
She was going with Jantro's philosophy on this one; the world may be going to hell in a hand basket (whatever that meant) but with a full belly things always looked, if not felt a bit better. Well given the bounty in her arms she was more than willing to test the theory.
Half an hour later her bio rod powered heat ring had the water in her canister simmering nicely. She should probably try and find Caleb before attempting to mix all her packets together. This stuff was a pain to re-heat. Just before heading out an idea struck her. She should probably take something with her as proof of her treasure hunting. Or, she thought ominously, it could act as a bribe to get him back to the lair. Wow, she really hoped it was the first option. She shook herself irritably, this was no time for fussing.
She had a mission to be getting on with, a domestic one yes but a mission all the same. Palming up the chocolate she took a breath and stepped outside. Looking left and right she considered. She had never really given much thought to how big Futuregate actually was. He could be anywhere.
She shut her eyes trying to gather her thoughts enjoying the feel of the drizzle as it drifted over her. Refreshing, reanimating revisiting.
She opened her eyes.
She knew where he would be.
Stashing the chocolate in her battle vest Lexa made her way around the deck till she was facing a ladder. A rather tall ladder.
Seriously, what was the thing with Futuregate and platforms?
But he could do with a friend right now (she hoped) and one sheared-gasket of a ladder wasn't about to stop her. A least not for long. She looked up again. Fingers crossed.
Keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead she began her climb, teeth gritted as she focused solely on the progress she was making.
Cog's Teeth! This was much easier in the dark.
As her eyes became level with his look out post she could make out Caleb sat hunched over the railings, hood up, his back to her. Five discarded juggling balls lay abandoned behind him.
Great. This boded well...Well, at least he wasn't smashing stuff. Given how strong he was there was no way she could physically stop him. Dear stars, she hoped that scenario would never crop up, repressing a shudder.
Moving swiftly on...
She pulled herself up, planting both feet solidly on the deck.
He didn't acknowledge the sound, resolutely gazing over the waters.
Lexa initially didn't care, too busy breathing a silent thankyou and feeling rather accomplished in getting there at all. Funny, the things you did for friends.
Right, to business.
She stepped over to him, sitting near, copying his position, legs dangling over the side.
"Hello."
He didn't move, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Silence descended on them, breeze toyed with Lexa's unruly curls as they watched the milky sun get swallowed by tempestuous clouds.
Not really knowing what to do other than knowing words right now were not a good move she inched her hand towards him. His fingers tapped hesitantly towards hers, tips brushing . His palm surged into life encompassing her smaller one, holding on for dear life.
More silence. But it could definitely be worse. She could do this, the silence was comfortable, sitting, quiet for as long as he needed.
It was Caleb who broke the silence.
"Do you think there are more like us?" More resistance fighters?
"Absolutely." Her voice rang with total conviction.
"Really?"
"Definitely, resistance fighters we've liberated, it's just a matter of time before they get in contact."
"You think? It's already been a day." He pointed out.
"Yeah, true but it depends what state their equipment is in and how easy it is to broadcast. Neuros has been blocking the waves here for a long time, it's bound to take a while for every frequency to clear. Plus, there's bound to be people out there listening, mum was right."
"About what?"
"About our spirit," She elaborated, "the Roboidz would never break us. We may be onto third generation by now, but they're out there, somewhere, scattered but fighting back. She believed in that, right to the end. And i've never known her to be wrong."
"She was an impressive woman your mum, the angel of the resistance." He actually sounded wistful.
Lexa bit her lip, she didn't know what to say, there was nothing appropriate and she was desperate not to stomp her foot into her mouth. Again.
Caleb saved her the trouble. He sighed heavily still looking out to sea,
"You know, it sounds weird but I'd never really thought about having parents before the recruits came."
"Really?" Well that took her off guard, "What? Never?" She found that hard to believe.
"No," He answered thoughtfully, "I suppose it never really came up, man on his own with Roboidz with just a computer for company. I had more important things on my mind."
"Fair enough, but I couldn't imagine not having my mum around or at least," she sobered, "not thinking about her."
"Well, I suppose it's just that I couldn't remember her, still can't. I mean, when the recruits arrived, after a few days some of them said they missed their parents, especially the elites, they were with me the longest. Homesick one of them told me. Couldn't blame them, this is about as far from home as you can get. But it got me thinking."
He tore his eyes away, looking at her nervously, "go on" she encouraged.
"Well, it got me wondering about what mine were like, I tried to remember, harder than I ever tried before. But like usual I got nothing. So I tried to imagine them, what they'd be like, what they would do. It helped keep me going sometimes, took my mind off things, especially at night, all I could think of then was what would happen if failed, I needed the distraction."
"But you always sounded so confidant on your broadcasts, so positive!"
"Had to. As much for me as to keep Neuros and the Roboidz on their toes. Couldn't very well tell all and sundry I was scared! But yeah, picturing them made me feel better, dunno why, just, If I was thinking about them whether they looked right or wrong, then maybe it'd kick start some of the synapses or, or do something to make me remember them!"
His frustration began to vent,
"I mean, who forgets their own parents?" He demanded, carrying on before Lexa got a chance to think of a response.
"But it was nice to have an idea of them, I liked to think that sometimes, they were watching me from wherever they were, knew what I was doing, and maybe be proud of me."
"I'm sure they are." She pressed on before he got chance to respond, "How did you see them? What did they look like to you when you pictured them?"
"Well I," he looked nervous again, "It sounds daft now,"
"No it won't, It was important to you, still is. You did whatever you did to help you cope, if it helped it helped."
"Well, I, I liked to think of them as being in the resistance, daft I know, I was probably frozen before the war started but that's how I pictured them. My mum would have long fair hair, blue-grey eyes and a big smile and my dad would be tall and dark and could fix anything."
His voice had risen as he described what he could conjure in his mind's eye. Coming back to himself, he coughed, embarrassed. "Sorry, that sounded younger than the recruits didn't it?" Younger, he chastised himself-a five year old would be disdainful of that little mental image.
"A little," she smiled, "but we're all allowed to dream, you shouldn't get embarrassed, after all, it's not as if you've had much else to go on," she cringed, that had meant to sound sympathetic, it did in her head, as it was, that just sounded mean. Ooops.
She was really out of practice with the whole saying-the-right-thing-at-the-right-time skill.
"Well, I thought that" continued Caleb, completely unperturbed," but a few days ago (had it really been only a few days?) Cybele told me a little bit about my mum, first time she'd ever mentioned her, she really meant it too, she used her you-better-listen-to-every-word-I-say voice. She said that my Mother had loved me and fought for me and that the Roboidz had taken her away from me and destroyed her. She said that's why I was the chosen one, because they'd taken my mother from me." He paused, thinking, "I'd not put it all together before, there wasn't any time. I should have realized she knew everything I wanted to know. Stupid or what?"
"No, not stupid at all. You were in the middle of a mission, the most important mission for the century. You can't be expected to process everything at once. You're not a computer."
"No I'm not." He agreed vehemently, "At the time I was just thinking that the chosen thing was just a way to encourage me, a tool she was using to boost me, didn't mind though-it was working." His eyes met hers, mellowing sadly into guilt. "Kind of."
"You never did believe did you?"
"I wanted to. But it was just such a huge thing to be charged with. I never thought I was good enough, just happened to be the only human left." She opened her mouth to argue. "No, don't get me wrong, I'd fight them till my last breath make no mistake. They were evil and they had to be stopped. I just never really believed I was chosen. More part of a cause. But now, really, with everything that's happened I think I was right. It was because there's no one else, between us we know that they took a lot of people's mothers from them. If that's the criteria then you're just as chosen as me."
Lexa swallowed hard, willing her eyes to un-well, she was sick of crying, she didn't want to waste any more, not a single one for those over-grown junk heaps.
"You kept going when no one else was making a dent, that's chosen enough for me." His eyes widened in surprise, she cleared her throat hastily moving swiftly on,
"Well this news will have changed your images a bit then," she noted, to distract herself over anything else.
"Yeah," he laughed bitterly, "Just a bit. There I was hoping she'd been some kind of fantastic resistance fighter, someone who really fought to take back the world and make a difference. But no. She's the one that caused all this chaos."
He shook his head, choking on a grin,
"Talk about dashing your expectations eh?"
"Well yeah," And what expectations, she'd had no idea what hope he'd garnered over this. What the hell could she say? If all that wasn't crushing enough. Except, a memory struck her, rapidly forming into an idea, "I mean I know it was a shock but there is some good." She began to offer.
"Good? What good is there? It's because of her all this went wrong! If she was wasn't so wrapped up in belief of Cyconectics then none of this would have happened!" he pointed out angrily
"No, but it did. We have to accept that." She agreed matter-of-factly. "Besides it wasn't just her fault. Now we know Galen played his part too." Try as she might she couldn't say that without the tremor sneaking back to unsettle her tone.
"But Galen didn't invent the things and he spent the next 40-odd years fighting against them!" He was beginning to get truly riled again, feeling the rage rising in his chest again. He just couldn't get his head round it, everything he's been through, everything he'd seen, been led to believe wasn't right. He had, effectively, been cleaning up his mother's mess for the last five years. And he didn't even want to get started on the whole freezing thing-he had enough issue with that already thank you very much.
"I don't think you're seeing the whole picture here," She persisted in what she hoped was a neutral tone.
"And what would that be?" He snapped. "The build up to the apocalypse? Well, thanks to my Frankenstein implementations I've got the whole thing recorded in full clarity with surround sound." He didn't mean to get angry again, and not at Lexa but he couldn't help it. It was too much to take on board. And she was the only thing he could rage at who'd listen. The sea and bulkheads were never very sympathetic in their reactions.
He gripped the guard bar in frustration, dropping his head exasperated onto his knuckles.
"No, I meant the picture of your life before, you've only focused on the end result."
"Oh and I wonder why?" He snapped sarcastically
"Because it's one hell of a lot to deal with and the human mind only focuses on the bad." She explained simply, shutting him up, "But there's something else."
"What else?" He asked genuine curiosity seeping into him despite himself
"She loved you Caleb."
"What?" As if it was a bolt from the blue.
"Laura Gant, whatever she may have done she loved you."
"So that makes everything alright does it?" He was ready to scorn her, disregard Lexa's words as meaningless, what kind of compensation was that against everything that had happened? He was only one person.
"Of course not. But you shouldn't hate her,"
"I don't," And he realized with shock that he actually didn't. More it was just anger, seething anger at being totally blindsided and horribly let down.
"What I'm trying to say is that your mother was a brilliant woman, we know that, the Roboidz design is incredible." She carried on before he got a chance to interrupt, "But you're missing just how brilliant. She was focused, driven to perfecting her design and encouraging others to join her in the research projects of Futuregate. She really was working to make the world a better place, with all the minds that were ahead of their time."
"Yes I know all this, I was watching too." His patience was fraying rapidly.
"But that's what I'm saying! " She insisted, "This is the bit you've missed. When you were ill she turned all that drive, all that passion on to you."
"What d'you mean?" he frowned in confusion
"I mean," She explained, "that email, the one requesting the whole of the medical department to transfer their attention to a single special case. You. Over 100 people working to try and cure you and she invented the cybernetics to try and help keep the virus under control. She never gave up on you. Freezing you was a stroke of genius; it'd keep you alive but stop the virus from spreading. She was right, it bought her enough time."
Caleb was staring at her dumbstruck, his colour rising as his eyes began to shine,
"And at the end of the world, she's dying and the Roboidz are coming but she has enough faith and enough love to leave you a last message. She knew you'd recover and be strong enough to take over her cause of destroying her creations."
"She loved you and she fought for you, right till the end." She smiled proudly, "Just like mine."
Well didn't that just floor him. Lexa started to get blurry as the now all too familiar burn stirred in his chest, creeping up his throat settling to sting at the back of his nose. He turned away sharply, swallowing hard, focusing on the water until he wrestled himself under control. There had been enough rust-risks for one day.
He turned back to her, eyes sheened but unshed.
"Well, when you put it like that."
She grinned. Internally flooding with relief.
"Thanks."
She wrapped an arm about him. He sunk his head onto her shoulder gratefully.
After a few moments of quiet thought Lexa stirred, aware that night was rapidly approaching along with the continuous drizzle. She had no wish to discover right this second if Caleb was waterproof.
"Come on then, dinner won't eat itself."
"What?" He raised himself to stare at her in total incomprehension. "Dinner?"
"Yep, her face splitting into a broad grin, I found one of the galleys, we're 5 minutes away from hot cooked food fresh from the freeze-dried delicatessen."
"You mean food?" He demanded, "Actual, real health-filled food?"
"Yep."
"That wasn't once part of an insect?" the hope in his voice was slightly terrifying.
"Urgh, no." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Not in the slightest." And she REALLY wasn't about to ask about the insects. Bleargh. "But I'm not sure if it's all healthy, I mean the main bit is."
"Main bit? You mean, there's more than one thing?" What started as a simple grin was blooming into a full blown Caleb beam.
"Yeah, I found loads," She was half delighted half shocked at Caleb's apparent unfamiliarity with such basics. She'd always sort of taken food for granted, wherever they were in the world, bombed subway, wrecked cities, scorched forests they'd always found food. Angel had made sure of it, scavenging, hunting, anything they could find, always, every day, at least once.
They'd have something to eat.
It actually frightened her as to how much Caleb had missed out, how much simple stuff he didn't know. Well wasn't he about to have a hike of a learning curve!
She grinned, "the not-so-healthy stuff is called chocolate which is utterly amazing, here I brought some with me," She offered him the crumpled packet.
"Doesn't look like much," was his first verdict as he took it from her.
"No, but it tastes incredible!" Lexa enthused, she couldn't wait to see his reaction
"Smells good," he relented as he sniffed it with increasing appreciation, he raised to his mouth ready to bite off a chuck, foil and all
"No Caleb! Just the brown stuff underneath! The foil's just the wrapper!" She laughed despite herself
"Right, yes 'course." He coughed to mask his embarrassment.
"Well hopefully the Ban-ana ice cre-am will be easier to eat.
He stopped dead, bar half way to his lips, "What did you say?"
"It's the other stuff I found, something called Ban-ana Ice Cre-am," She explained nonchalantly.
"Banana?" He quizzed, deadly serious, the chocolate forgotten. "Are you trying to say Banana?"
"Yes, is that how it's meant to sound? Daft name, who do you think came up with that?" She trailed off at the expression his face was sporting. "W-What?"
"You found Banana stuff? On Futuregate? And it's in the Lair?" excitement beginning to power his voice.
"Er, yes, yes and yes?" This was unnerving, as she answered Caleb was gaining the look of a man possessed.
"FANTASTIC!" He whooped, ecstatically leaping to his feet, pulling Lexa up with him. "You're totally BRILLIANT!" He clamped her to him, nearly crushing her in his exuberance as he exclaimed, "I can't believe I hadn't found it! To think Futuregate had bananas all along! Excellent!" He let go of her in a rush, catching up a hand heading for the ladder.
"Come on, what are we waiting for?" He yelled, disappearing over the edge.
Lexa followed eagerly, joyful that she'd actually managed to help. She knew it wasn't a permanent fix but it was a start. If only all heartache could be mended so easily.
As they disappeared, laughing at each other across the deckways only the crushed bar of the iron welded guard rail remained to tell of their presence there at all.
A/N;
And there we go! Another chapter down! I hope you all enjoyed it! I figured Caleb couldn't just bounce back right as rain after one emotional outburst so he doesn't! I figured it would be an insult to his intelligence if he did. Lexa, as a side note is still not okay with her own findings on Galen but Caleb's intel on his mother has put it into a bit of perspective for her. Plus, right now, she's mostly just worried about Caleb!
Chapter 10 is going to be a long one I think, with a bit more backstory and heart pulling moments- if I do my job properly! I'll get it up ASAP!
I hope you enjoyed this one guys! As always, let me know either way and feel free to ask any questions!
Big thank you as always to my lovely reviewers! :D
Brilliant!
