Here's another chapter to make up for the previous wait. :) The group's journey starts next chapter!

Chapter #10: Long Road Ahead

Nick's jaw stretched in a wide yawn, rubbing the back of his neck as he trudged down the hall to the kitchen. Half awake, he began rummaging through the cupboards in search of a glass, managing to find a few amongst the top shelves. As he took a long drink, another sigh left him as he turned to lean back against the counter—only to receive a deep scare and nearly threw his glass when he was greeted with the sight of Ajax sitting on the island in the middle of the room.

"Son of a—!"

Ajax just glared at him with the usual, less than impressed stare he had come to greet the conman with. Nick's face hardened at the condescending look, lip twitching in a small, equally derisive sneer.

"You got somethin' to say?"

As usual, Ajax remained silent; though, his upper lip curled into a slight sneer as well. Nick took another sip from his glass, eyes remaining locked on the Hunter competitively.

"Try something. I dare you."

Ajax's eyes narrowed. Same goes to you, asshole.

It was at that moment that Nick's eyes suddenly shifted towards the doorway at a loud yawn, and a sleepy Ellis entered the room, hair frazzled from sleep. Barely turning his head, Ajax's eyes shifted to regard the mechanic with impassive eyes.

"Mornin'." Ellis went into same cabinet Nick had left open, grabbing a glass of his own.

It remained tense between Nick and Ajax until Nevaeh walked in shortly after, greeting the three men when she saw them. "Morning, gentlemen."

Ellis responded with bright smile. "Mornin'!"

She gave Ajax's shoulder an affectionate pat as she passed, the tension wavering in the room not slipping passed her attention. "Good to see you boys haven't tried killing each other yet."

"I wouldn't jinx it." Coach entered kitchen with Rochelle in tow, and Ellis passed them each a glass with water.

As everyone rose from the haze of sleep, they had all come to sit down in various spots in the kitchen. Ellis had seated himself on the counter, while Coach leaned back against the doorway, and Rochelle hopped up to sit near the sink. Nick had made a point to remain leaned back against the sinks, so he could keep his eyes on Ajax, who was still glaring at him, and Nevaeh took a stool at the island beside the Hunter.

"We'd like to thank you again for letting us stay the night," said Coach suddenly, breaking the semi-awkward silence that had fallen over the group.

Nevaeh glanced back at him. "Where're you headed from here?"

"Caught wind that there might still be a way outta all this," Ellis piped in. "Picked it up on a radio signal a few days back." He shrugged. "Should be about a week's hike from here on foot... maybe a little longer."

Nevaeh looked at him, interest caught. "Where?"

"Chicago," answered Rochelle, before Ellis could. "We couldn't get many details, because the transmission was so rough, but we don't really have anything else going for us so..." She shrugged.

"You should come," said Coach. "No use stickin' around here."

Nevaeh glanced at him, but the motion was fleeting. "I trust the government about as much as I trust a Tank on thin ice."

"So you'd rather stay here when you could be safe?"

"I've been doing fine so far. I don't really have anything to lose, you know?"

"Just your life. No biggie," Nike piped in flatly.

"At this point death doesn't really scare me."

Ajax, finally turning his head away from Nick, looked at her with a frown. Ellis wore a similar frown to the Hunter, eyeing her with vague concern.

"Hey now, that ain't no way to talk. There's plenty to live for! And who knows? Maybe you'll find someone ya know at the safe zone. They could be waitin' for ya."

"Ellis is right," said Rochelle. "You never know."

"My family is dead."

"You don't know th—" Ellis started, but she cut him off.

"My mother died when I was sixteen, and my father was shot while overseas when I was only four months. I didn't talk to the rest of my family, and, as you know, my fiancé was killed when all this started." She met his eyes a bit coldly. "So I know."

All their eyes fell collectively. Even Nick appeared to sympathize with her; though, he made no vocal evidence of this.

"I'm sorry," apologized Rochelle.

Nevaeh gave a resigned sigh. "You didn't know."

Reaching down, Ajax wrapped his arm around her back. A lingering silence followed after that. It was one of those silences you might encounter at a funeral, when you weren't sure whether or not it was appropriate to speak. However, this time it was Nick who broke that silence.

"So you've got nothing to lose. Then what's the point in hiding out in this hellhole for the rest of your life?"

Nevaeh glanced at him.

"I mean, mine as well do something useful. Kick ass, get even? Seems pretty pointless to just sit around if you ask me. We met this guy named Virgil during our travels. He's been going around on his boat looking for survivors. Saved our asses."

"You're implying that I help you, because why the hell not?"

"I'm not saying anything." He shrugged. "Just trying to figure out why you choose to sit around with your thumbs up your ass when you could be doing something a lot more interesting, basically."

Her stare lowered to the floorboards. He was right, she had to admit. There was no point in just staying in one spot—not in a world like this. A part of her knew they were right. She could be helping people. She could have been making a difference—however little it was. The one thing holding her back was what she hadn't admitted to them.

Turning her head, she looked at Ajax, and he looked at her in wonder. She had lied. There was one thing left she had to lose, and it was him. In a matter of weeks, he had become part of her. He was her family, but she was the one and only person on the planet who looked at him and saw anything but a Hunter. By involving him in this, she was putting his life at risk.

He tilted his head at her when she just continued to stare at him, and her eyes fell. But could she really just sit around and do nothing? She didn't know if she could do it—sit around without knowing what was going on with the rest of the world. As a survivor, it was technically part of her duty to her own species to try and save what was left of the population. Not only that, but she was basically a doctor, minus the papers stating so, and she knew she could be of use to people who needed medical treatment. It felt selfish to forsake them, but could she risk forsaking Ajax in the attempt to help anyone else?

"If it's your Hunter you're worried about—" started Coach, but she cut him off promptly.

"Ajax."

He held his hands up. "If it's Ajax you're worried about, as long as he's got our backs... we agree to point our weapons another way. Hell, it might be a benefit to have someone like him on the team."

Ajax narrowed his eye at the older man calculatingly.

"Just come with us," said Rochelle. "You don't have to make up your mind now on coming to the safe zone... if there even is one. We could use the numbers, and so could you. Who knows where the journey will take us?"

Once more, Nevaeh looked to Ajax. This time he made no type of response to her silent stare, offering no sort of answer or guidance. She could see it in his eyes that he knew it wasn't his choice. It was hers, and he respected that. Even so, she knew he was hardly comfortable with the idea of travelling with these four strangers—not only for his safety, but for hers. He didn't trust them, and that would only cause problems in future situations.

"Not to lay pressure on you or nothin'..."

Her eyes flickered up towards Ellis at his timid yet oddly firm voice.

"...but I think you should consider comin' with us. We sure as hell could use yer help, and you might find somethin' out there worth fightin' for. Nick's right. Ain't no use in stayin' 'ere."

Nick returned his stare to her coolly, neither commenting nor reacting any further than that. They were all staring at her at this point, silently awaiting the answer she knew she had to give. She had always been taught to follow her heart, and right now the thought of simply saying "no" as if it didn't somehow affect their lives didn't sit well with her. What if she did say no and one of them died because she wasn't there to cover for them? Of course, she knew fate was fate, and that it wasn't her job to protect a bunch of people she didn't know, but ethically? It wasn't something she could swallow.

"...I'll help you find this supposed base you're talking about..."

As they perked up in interest, Ajax's head snapped to her sharply.

"But I won't be joining you at the safe zone either way. I'll help you get there, but I can't leave Ajax behind." Her eyes flickered to each of theirs, allowing her words to sink in. "If this is going to work, you're all going to have to deal with Ajax being around you 24/7. If any of you threaten him even once, I'm out."

"Deal!" agreed Ellis before anyone else could so much as part their lips to speak.

Rochelle cast a timid but subtle glance in Ajax's direction, but then she was nodding her head as well. "Well... he hasn't tried to kill us so far..."

"Nick?" Coach turned his head over to the conman expectantly, to which he was given a roll of the eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll respect his space if he respects mine."

Ellis couldn't have been smiling any wider, and Nevaeh couldn't help but wonder why he was so excited. He barely knew her. He's a kid. It had become apparent to her that he had grown a small crush on her, but she had no intentions of acting on it. Hopefully, it wouldn't become a problem. That's all she needed was for Ajax to go big brother on her. He was already protective enough.

Coach lifted his hands in a shrug. "Well, that settles it, then. Now, there's no tellin' when or if the last chopper lands, so I say we get our asses moving asap."

Nevaeh nodded. "We can take the Wrangler. I just need time to gather some things."

"Dibs on driving," said Nick.

Ellis' head snapped to him. "Oh, come on, man!"

Nevaeh glanced to where Ajax sat at the window of their room, forcing back a sigh as she stuffed a portable med kit into her backpack. His silence and body language hadn't slipped past her attention. It was obvious he wasn't at all happy with the decision made, which she understood, but it wasn't making things any easier.

"Ajax, I can't just turn my back on my species because of trust issues. Just like us, they're trying to survive. It's not like we have anything else to do. We mine as well help who we can."

He was silent, not looking at her. Then all of a sudden, he made a sharp turn and jumped down off the ledge, snatching the tablet off the desk. After typing heatedly for a few moments, he handed it back to her, and she took it a bit resignedly.

It's safe here. Why should we risk our lives for a bunch of strangers that pointed guns at us?

"You know what I'm going to say to that."

He scoffed, looking away.

"Ajax, I pointed my gun at you, remember? Hell, I was a second away from slicing your head off your shoulders, and look at us now."

He didn't answer, but she knew he was hearing her.

"Yes, it's safe here, but it's pointless staying here. With no people, it would be a meaningless existence. We can help people."

Looking at her, he took the tablet back. Until one day one of them decides they don't appreciate the help and tries to kill you. There are only two kinds of people who survive in a world like this, Vaeh. Killers and dumb luck. Keep crossing paths with strangers, and you're going to meet one that isn't so friendly.

Lowering the tablet, she smiled at him halfheartedly. "I love you, too, Ajax."

Another curt scoff was his response, rolling his eyes as he shoved her by the arm with a growl. I'm serious, his eyes read fiercely.

Her shoulders fell. "I need to do something, Ajax. I can't just survive. There are people out there who need help. Like Ellis said... we need to stick together."

He frowned. Ellis again. Again, he rolled his eyes and typed something else. You don't even know Ellis.

"I think it's safe to say he's pretty harmless... at least towards people. Nick is the only one I'm really worried about... and maybe Coach."

He shook his head and jabbed one last response into the tablet. I'm only agreeing to this for your sake, but if they think I'm going to be their fucking attack dog they have something else coming to them. I'm not an animal.

"And they will see that with time. It took me a little while, too, remember? They'll come around... but you have to let them."

Setting the tablet on the bed, he made for the window once more, and upon looking down she saw the brief message he had left.

Going to stand watch on the roof.

She sighed.

A little later, she was just finishing sealing her tablet in its waterproof case when she heard a knock. "Come in."

Ellis entered. "Howdy."

She looked up from her seat on the bed. "Hi."

He shut the door behind him before stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Where's Ajax?"

She nodded upwards. "Roof."

He looked up briefly before returning his eyes to her. "What's 'e doin' up there?"

"He's a little upset with me, but he'll get over it."

A knowing smirk ghosted over his lips. "Not too keen on sharin' you with us?"

"He's just scared something will happen to me. He doesn't think I should be risking my neck for a bunch of strangers."

"Hell, we all started out as strangers. Met up tryin' to get to the same chopper way back in the beginnin' o' all this. Guess we just figured it was best to stick together. We're a team now."

She hummed softly in reply, fiddling distractedly with her knife. "No offense, but I'm helping you because it's the right thing to do... not because I'm trying to make friends." She met his eyes. "I don't intend to go to the safe zone with you guys. My place is here, helping people who need it."

His eyes fell, and he shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe you'll change yer mind. If there is a safe place away from all this... I'm sure they could use a person like you."

This time, her eyes narrowed at him the slightest bit. "You don't know me... at all. How could you possibly make a statement like that?"

He shrugged again. "Call it instinct."

She stared up at him curiously, when their attentions were turned to the window at a scratching sound. Ajax appeared a moment later, jumping down and grabbing onto the bottom of the window before pulling himself up back into the room with a lithe grace—only to pause when he saw Ellis.

The young mechanic raised his hand in a single wave. "All clear?"

Ajax just stared at him. Shifting a bit in his stance, Ellis frowned a little when the only response he received was a small sneer, and he didn't miss how the Hunter's eyes almost seemed to give him a disdainful onceover.

Jumping down from the window, Ajax joined Nevaeh and sat down beside her. She gave him a look at the subtle yet obvious display of dominance. He may as well have said "mine". Rolling her eyes, she turned her head away while shaking it.

Seeming to get the hint, Ellis pressed his lips together. "I think that's my cue to leave." Despite his defeat, he managed a smile anyway. "The others wanna head out soon. You almost ready?"

She nodded. "I'll meet you outside."

Smile renewed, he smiled and made his leave. Once sure he was gone, she turned her head to Ajax with a less than impressed stare.

"Mature."

He shrugged, and she scoffed, shoving him by the head. "This is going to be a fun road trip..."

Well, that's going to be a fun car ride! Poor Nevaeh :P