Title: Tribe 3: Wonderwall

Chunk 14: Sections 66 thru 70

Fandom: The Tribe

Author: PinkTribeChick

Summary: I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me . . . Life goes on for the Mall Rats after the Chosen take over the city.

Extended Summary: Essentially, this is an Alternate Universe story for Series 3 and beyond of the Tribe. I won't say anything more than that, because I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who have never read this before

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Too many to name! But Bray-Amber, Lex-Zandra, Ryan-Salene, and Jack-Ellie, for starters. There will also be some Tribe-character with original character pairings.

Author's Notes: Again many thanks as always go to Brett The Mole, as he was the one who talked me into sharing this story with others when I first started writing it, and he was the one who kept bugging me to complete it. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you, Brett! And major thanks to Ariannya, Whit, and all the others who at various times read and proofed sections for me and gave me their invaluable feedback.

Enjoy, and please review! Feedback is much appreciated!

Disclaimer: All characters, situations, and song lyrics remain the property of their respective owners. Troy Wisneski belongs to the author Paula Boock, from her Tribe novel "Power and Chaos." Any original characters are sole property of me, PinkTribeChick. The lyrics used in this chunk are from "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Krauss.

Tribe 3: Wonderwall

Sections 66 thru 70

Sienna glared at KC and Cloe, who were dancing across the room. KC dipped Cloe, and she laughed. Why can't that be me? It should be me, Sienna thought to herself.

"Cake time!" Zandra said, coming out of the kitchen with the wedding cake, TaiRon behind her with the knife. Jack turned off the music, and everyone gathered around the table to watch Amber and Bray cut their cake.

"Alright, everyone. I just want to thank you all for being here today for this special event in our lives," Bray said. "We hope that you will join in our happiness for years to come, and that this tribe will continue to grow and thrive." Amber tugged at Bray's sleeve.

"What, sweetie?" She whispered something in his ear. His smile got bigger. "You're kidding me, right?" He looked at her in amazement. She smiled, shaking her head. He put the knife down and hugged her tightly, picking her up and spinning her around. He put her down on the floor again, and then he turned to face the others again.

"Amber has just told me, we're expecting again!" Everyone cheered happily, hugging each other and clapping. Sienna couldn't help but smile. Getting married and finding out that they were expecting another child all in the same day was exciting news. Zandra hugged Amber and gave Bray a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, alright! Enough with the mushy junk! Come on, cut the cake! I'm getting hungry here!" Lex said, making everyone laugh. Bray held his hands up to quiet everyone, and then picked up the knife again. He cut a small piece of cake, and fed it to Amber. Taking the knife from him, she cut another small piece and fed it to him. Everyone clapped.

"Cake for everyone now!" Amber shouted over the noise. Jack turned the music back on, as Zandra handed out cake on plates to everyone. Sienna quietly walked off to her room after getting a piece of cake. Meanwhile, Dal walked over to Jack's DJ table.

"Hey, Jack. Why don't you take a break for a while? Tzara's taking care of Lexi for a little while, so I can take your place. You look exhausted, pal," Dal offered.

"I'm fine, Dal," Jack responded in a monotone voice. "I can handle it." Amber walked up to stand beside Dal.

"Jack, as leader, I order you to take a break. I mean it," she said firmly. "Enjoy the food, mingle with everyone a little. Okay? I mean, Ellie's gone to her room, so you won't run into her." Jack stood up reluctantly.

"Alright! But only because you ordered me to!" Jack said grouchily. He stomped off, and Dal took a seat in the chair that he had vacated. Jack grabbed a large piece of cake and headed off to his room.

Jack poked at his piece of cake with a fork as he walked back to his room. Walking into his room, he sighed loudly, seeing Ellie sitting at the computer. He put his plate down and walked up behind her.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing in here? This is my room, remember? We don't share a room anymore," he said grouchily. She didn't bother to look up from the game of solitaire she was playing to respond.

"This computer is mine, too. Not just yours. I got it for you, so I have every right to use it if I want, whether it's in your room or not," she replied dryly. "Besides, I thought you were supposed to be playing DJ in the café. What happened?"

"I'm taking a break. Amber insisted on it. Now, will you please get out of my room?" he said. She shut off the computer and turned in her chair to face him.

"No," she said simply, giving him an angelic smile.

"But you're not using the computer anymore. You just turned it off! There's no reason for you to be in here, so get out!" he exclaimed, pointing to the door. She wrapped her legs around the legs of the chair, and held to the seat with her hands, shaking her head.

"I'm not moving from this seat. And you can't make me!" she taunted. He crossed his arms across his chest and started tapping his foot.

"Ellie, I've had it up to here with your childish antics! Please, get out of my room, or I will carry you, along with the chair, out myself," he said, looking up at the ceiling the way he always did when he was aggravated about something.

"Nope, still not moving. Anyway, you couldn't carry me if you tried. You're too weak, Jackers," she said, laughing.

"What do you want from me?!" he screamed, getting in her face. "An apology? Because I'm not the one in the wrong here, Ell, you are!"

"No. I want to apologize, and I'd like us to get back together," she said sweetly.

"You're kidding me right?" he said, smirking. He pretended to be thinking for a moment. "Now that is not going to happen. No, thank you, Ellie." He backed up to the worktable that he had placed his plate on. "So, Ellie, why don't you just admit your defeat and go drown your sorrows in some wedding cake?" He smashed the gooey cake all over her face and hair, laughing.

"Ooo! You little devil!" she shrieked, untangling her legs from the chair. Jack waved, and then ran out of the room back down to the café, with Ellie hot on his heels. Jack went skidding under one of the tables and popped up on the other side. Ellie grabbed a bowl of soup, running over to him. She pulled the waistband of his trousers out a little bit and poured the soup in. Jack's mouth opened in shock as the hot liquid soaked his clothes.

"Aww . . . pour Jackers had a little accident!" Everyone was staring at them by now.

"This is war!" he yelled. He grabbed a bowl of pudding and poured it down her shirt. "Feeling a little mushy today, Ellie!" He rubbed her shirt at where the pudding was inside for a second, and then ran off again, hiding behind another table. Ellie picked up a chicken leg.

"Oh, Jack?" she called out. His head popped up from behind the table, and she threw the leg, beaning him in the head. He was stunned for a moment, and then grabbed a plate that was on the table and a spoon. He scooped up some mash potatoes and launched them at her. It hit her in the eye.

Angrily, she grabbed a bottle of water and ran over to him, pouring it all over him. As his hair dripped, he slid over to the table where Lex, Zandra, Alice, and TaiRon sat and grabbed a handful of beans off Alice's plate. He mashed them up in his hands, and then smeared it down Ellie's skirt. At that, Ellie grabbed his trousers and pulled them down.

"Oh, well if we're going to do that, then here!" he exclaimed, yanking down her skirt and exposing her lacy underwear. "Ooo . . . did you get those from the Victoria's Secret catalogue?" Ellie turned red, looking at him in the eye.

"Stop it, you two!" Amber said, as she and Bray ran up behind them. Suddenly, Ellie, screamed, lunging at Jack, her nails bared. She scratched him across the face, as they both fell to the floor and started wrestling.

"STOP IT!" Alice shouted, but it was no use. They didn't hear anyone. Lex stood up, nodding at Bray. Bray grabbed Ellie, and Lex grabbed Jack, and they were pried apart, both out of breath, red-faced, and dirty.

"No more, got it!" Amber said, standing between them.

"She started it!" Jack said, trying to pull out of Lex's grip.

"You little liar! You were the one who threw food first!" Ellie retorted.

"Shut up!" Amber hollered loudly, and they were suddenly both quiet. Amber took a deep breath. "I don't care who started it. But it's stopping right now. I don't even begin to know what's going on, or why you did this, or how you feel about each other, but this can't happen again. You've wasted food and water with this little feud, as well as disrupting the party."

"Bray, Alice," she said, looking at both of them. "Take them to their own separate rooms and clean them up, then bring them back here. I think it's about time we talked this out once and for all. Understand?" Ellie and Jack both nodded guiltily, as Bray led Jack off, and Lex handed Ellie over to Alice.

"I'm sorry, Amber," Ellie said, tears filling her eyes. "I don't know what got into me."

"It's okay. But you and Jack need to sit down with an unbiased third and fourth party, that being me and Alice, and work it out. Now, go get cleaned up," Amber responded, smiling. Alice led Ellie out of the café. Amber sat down in a nearby chair and started to laugh, as did everyone else.

"Do you want us to clean this up for you?" Zandra asked, chuckling a bit.

"Nah. It's their mess, so they have to clean it up. It'll be part of their punishment," Amber said, smiling again. She looked around. There was food all over the floor, and some chairs had been knocked over. They would have to clean it up quickly, too, before the rats set upon it. Boy, did they have a large task ahead of them. She started to laugh again.

"They sure made a mess, didn't they?" Matthew said, as he walked Trudy back to her room. She had put Brady to bed an hour before, and they could hear her gurgling happily in her crib.

"Yes, they did. But it's nothing new. Jack and Ellie are always fighting, breaking up, and then getting back together. It's a never ending circle with them. I'm sure they'll work it out and be back together within the next few days," Trudy responded with confidence. "Though I will say, I've never seen them fight quite like that before." She walked over to the crib and picked Brady up. "Who's a sleepy girl? I wish my Brady-bear was," she cooed at her daughter.

"You said she's a year old?" Matthew asked, walking over to them.

"Almost. She's named after Bray and me, a combination of the two names. She looks so much like her dad, though," Trudy replied, a wave of sadness sweeping across her. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Uh . . . sure, I'd love to," he said. He took Brady from her, cradling the little girl in his arms. Brady grinned and cooed at Matthew as if she already knew him. It was as if Brady knew who he really was, her father. Watching them gave Trudy a feeling of deja vous, remember the only other time that he'd held their daughter, and her eyes filled with tears, as she smiled.

"Who's her father?" Matthew asked, as he looked up at Trudy again. It was weird for Trudy, seeing him again. It was almost a dream come true. She was getting a second chance with him, if only he could remember who he actually was.

"Um . . . Bray's younger brother, Martin," Trudy answered.

"Where is he then? He didn't leave you and Brady, did he? I don't know why any guy would do that to a beautiful girl and his daughter. If I were him, I would never leave either of you."

"Thanks," she said, blushing. She looked down at her feet. "Actually, he had an accident, shortly after Brady was born, and he died. Bray's been taking care of us ever since."

"Oh . . . I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," he said quietly, feeling guilty. He looked down to see Brady yawning. She stared at him with her crystal-clear blue eyes. She was almost ready to go to sleep. Staring at her, he realized she looked like someone he had seen before and, he closed his eyes and remembered a vision he'd been having for months . . .

"Why should I?" he heard himself say. He stood across from a boy and a girl, Bray and Trudy, and Trudy was holding a baby in her arms. He was looking at them, Bray and Trudy, but they looked different. They were younger, and Bray's hair was shorter, while Trudy's was longer.

"For her," Bray said, handing Matthew the baby in Trudy's arms. He looked down at the child. A pair of familiar blue eyes stared back at him. It was Brady.

"Matthew?" he heard Trudy say. He snapped out of his trance.

"Yeah?" he responded, looking up at her.

"You can put Brady in her crib if you want," Trudy said. He nodded and lay Brady in the crib, covering her up with the blanket. He turned to face Trudy.

"Something wrong?" He had a bizarre look on his face, as though he had just seen a ghost. He was pale, his eyes wide, and his mouth slightly open.

"No, not at all," he said, trying his best to plaster a smile on his face. Trudy examined him for a moment, thinking.

"Why don't I believe you?" Trudy countered, looking at him suspiciously. Matthew sighed loudly, sitting down on Trudy's bed.

"Because I think you may know me better than I do right now," he said. "I didn't just remind you of someone that's dead. I am that someone, aren't I?" Trudy started to cry, and he knew he was right. She sat down on her bed beside him, sobbing.

"How did you figure it out?" Trudy said softly.

"I looked at Brady, and I remembered this dream I've been having. The same dream, over and over, every night, for months. I'm talking to two people, and they give me a baby to hold. Their faces have always been a complete blur, all except for the baby. Looking at Brady, I realized she was the baby. Suddenly, the other faces became clear, as though I had found the missing piece to a puzzle," he replied. "I'm Martin, aren't I?" Trudy nodded.

"We didn't want to tell you. We were trying to wait and see if you actually remembered anything on your own, or for some kind of proof that you were Martin. When you said you remembered the name Fielder earlier, I was pretty sure it was you. Besides, no one else has pale blue eyes like yours except for Brady," Trudy said.

"Finally, after months of being a no-name, no-memories personality, I know who I am!" Matthew exclaimed.

"You don't know all of it though and that scares me," Trudy said.

"Why should it scare you?" he asked, confused.

"You only know a piece of who you are, that you're Martin Fielder, that I'm your girlfriend, that Bray is your brother, and that Brady is your niece. And Michael's your nephew, and Amber's your sister-in-law. There's more and when you find it out, one of two things could happen. You could turn against it, or you could embrace it," she explained.

"Embrace what?"

"Embrace Zoot."

"You mean that dead loony toon that the Chosen worshiped?" he said, laughing. "He was nuts, and I didn't agree with anything the Chosen did, or the philosophies that they believe in."

"You did once, though," she said.

"What are you saying, Trudy?" he asked. "That I used to be a member of the Chosen?"

"No. I'm saying that you are Zoot. Or you were, once," she said, looking at him timidly.

"What?! Hell no! No way! There's no way!" he exclaimed. "I've never been that evil, and I never will be!" He stood up and started pacing. It baffled him, the thought of being part of something that violent.

"You were before. When . . . if you remember everything, you can't guarantee that you won't become Zoot again," she said warily. "It's part of who you are, and that's hard to shake off."

"Trudy, I promise, I won't," he said, taking her by the hands. As he was remembering even more now, emotions that he hadn't felt in a long time starting running through his veins again. "Knowing who I am ahead of time and what I caused makes a big difference. Now, I have to go. TaiRon is waiting for me. Please, don't tell anyone about this until we can talk more about it. And I'll be back tomorrow to see you and Dal. Okay?" She nodded meekly. He kissed her gently on the lips. "It'll be alright." She smiled at him. "Bye!" With that, he ran out of the room.

Amber sat at a table in the café, her hair pulled down now, and her hands resting on her belly, with Bray sitting beside her. Jack and Ellie were on their hands and knees cleaning up their mess. Bray reached over and covered one of Amber's hands with his own.

"It's hard to believe that in another nine months, we're going to have another little Michael running around," Bray said softly.

"I know . . . ," Amber trailed off. "Bray . . . are you happy about this baby coming?" Bray looked at her, startled not only by her question, but her bluntness in asking.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? You've seen how much I love Michael, and with this child, I'll actually get to be there for the birth. And I'm going to love this little boy or girl as much as I love Michael," Bray responded.

"Well, with Michael, you really didn't have much of a choice. He was already born, and you didn't really have time to think about it, because as soon as you knew about him, we found out he was still alive. With this baby, it's going to be a little different. You're going to wait nine long months to see this little person and to love them. And just like Michael, I didn't plan this. I mean . . . we just got married, and Michael's a handful enough on his own. Are you sure you can handle this?" she asked.

"Sure . . . but I'm wondering if you can. All these questions you're throwing at me makes me think that you may not be entirely happy about this baby," he replied, giving her a strange look.

"I am. I'm a little surprised, yes, but I am happy about it. I just want to make sure you want to deal with this. Zandra can tell you from experience, I'm not the most cheerful of expectant mothers. I'm grouchy, and I have mood swings, and I cry easily, and I'll probably start thinking I'm too fat and that you don't love me. Are you really sure you want to put up with that?" Amber said, laughing. Bray smiled, squeezing her hand.

"I wouldn't have married you if I didn't love you and want to have more kids with you. So, yes, I want to put up with that, as you say. But it won't be a chore to me. I'm going to love every minute of it," he said. He leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips. "I love you, Am."

"I love you, too," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his, with her eyes closed.

"Hold on just a second," he said. He got up and walked over to the stereo system. He put in a CD and pushed play, then walked back over to her and pulled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"We didn't get to have our first dance as a married couple," he said, as the music started to play. He pulled her to him as they swayed to the music.

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart . . . Without saying a word you can light up the dark . . . Try as I may I could never explain . . . What I hear when you don't say a thing.

Across the room, Jack and Ellie stared at the couple as they danced quietly. They both looked so happy in each others' arms. Jack looked over at Ellie sadly. That could have been them, but it was too late now. They resented each other too much to ever go back. Ellie looked over at Jack, as he quickly looked away.

"Listen, Jack . . . I'm sorry. You were right. I was being too possessive," Ellie admitted quietly. Jack looked up at her, amazed. It was a rarity for Ellie to admit she was wrong.

"Yeah, but I didn't have to react the way I did. There was a better way of handling it. I just couldn't see that at the time," he responded.

The smile on your face let's me know that you need me . . . There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me . . . The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall . . . You say it best when you say nothing at all.

"Forgive me?" Ellie said, her eyes filled with tears. Jack closed his eyes and nodded.

"But only if you forgive me, too," he said, smiling. She smiled back, and he knew she did. He leaned forward to kiss her, as she leaned forward. As their lips were about to touch, Ellie backed away.

"I can't do this. We can't be together," she said quickly, her cheeks red.

"Why not? We love each other. There's nothing keeping us apart," he asked.

"Jack . . . Alice decided that we're going to go back to the farm. For good. We leave in a couple of days," Ellie said. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. "She thinks that I would be better off away from you. And I have no choice but to go. Ma and Pa left her to take care of me after they died. I'm so sorry." She stood up and ran from the room in tears. Jack sat there in shock, with his mouth wide open. He scrambled to his feet and walked off toward Alice's room. He had a few things to say to her about this.

Amber yawned loudly. Bray noticed it and smiled to himself. He walked over to the stereo and turned it off.

"I think it's bedtime for you," he said.

"No . . . it's our wedding night. I don't want to spoil it for you," she said, yawning as he picked her up in his arms.

"If you get sick and lose the baby, or die yourself, it would be spoiled. You mean more to me alive, if you know what I mean?" he said. She laughed a little, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Alright. I'll go to bed. But that means it's your turn to get up with Michael tonight," Amber said.

"I don't mind at all," Bray said. He kissed her on the forehead as she drifted off to sleep in his arms. He carried her into their room, and laid her on the bed. He pulled her sandals off and put a thick blanket over her. Then he retrieved the baby monitor from Zandra and got into to bed beside his wife. He read a book as he listened to Amber and Michael both breathing peacefully, fast asleep. He finally felt whole.

"What are you thinking?!" Jack exclaimed, storming into Alice's room. She sat in a chair reading.

"What?" Alice said, putting her book down. "Slow down, Jack. What are you talking about?"

"You're taking Ellie back to the farm, that's what. Why? We finally made up and are making some headway in our relationship, and I come to find out you're taking her away from me, because you think it's what's best for her. Why are you doing this?" Jack asked.

"You two need a break from each other, Jack. Look at the way you guys have been fighting lately. Each time, it's worse than the one before it, and the food fight was just the last straw. I talked to Amber and the others about this, and I just feel that if you guys took a break, got away from each other, you'd both have time to think and cool down. Maybe have a chance to see if you're really meant for each other. Who knows? Maybe you'll both meet someone else, maybe you won't, but at least you'll know, and this madness will stop," Alice explained.

"I'm not just thinking about what's best for her, I'm thinking about what's best for both of you. I care for you just as much as I care for her. I hate seeing both of you so miserable. Besides, somebody's got to put their foot down in this situation, and it's going to be me. I'm sorry, Jack."

"Well, are you guys ever going to come back?" Jack asked.

"We will continue to bring food, yes. And maybe, after some time, we'll consider moving back here. But for right now, it's pretty much a permanent thing," she responded.

"Great! Who the hell appointed you as God over my love life, Alice? Or Ellie's, for that matter? She's got a mind of her own, you know!" Jack exclaimed angrily.

"Yes, I know that. But she can't see this from a clear perspective. And neither can you. So I'm making the decision for both of you," she said.

"Well, I hope Ellie ends up hating you for this as much as I do. You shouldn't mess around with other people's lives, Alice. Thanks for nothing," he said. With that, he stomped out of the room.

That's all for now, folks! I apologize for the long wait for this update – I was just being lazy! Thanks again for reading, now please go and tell me what you thought of what you read! I love reviews – they keep me going! Toodles until later . . .